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Simmered Tofu with Ground Pork

This is not a stir-fry but a simmered dish, easy and fast. The cooking time totals about ten minutes, and the preparation time is about the same, so be sure to start the rice first.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon peanut or other oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 pound ground pork
1/2 cup chopped scallion, green part only
1/2 cup stock or water
1 pound soft or silken tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt
Minced fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put the oil in a deep 12-inch skillet or wok, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. A minute later, add the garlic, ginger, and hot pepper and cook just until they begin to sizzle, less than a minute. Add the pork and stir to break it up; cook, stirring occasionally, until it loses most of its pink color.

    Step 2

    Add the scallion and stir; add the stock. Cook for a minute or so, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon if necessary to loosen any stuck bits of meat, then add the tofu. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the tofu is heated through, about 2 minutes.

    Step 3

    Stir in the soy sauce, taste, and add salt and hot pepper as necessary. Garnish with the cilantro if you like and serve.

From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books. Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
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