The Lion's Rear

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roam:J. Kenji Lopez-Alt 's Mapo Tofu Recipe from The Wok: Recipes and Techniques .

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• 1 tablespoon cold water

• 2 tablespoons peanut, rice bran, or other neutral oil

• 4 ounces ground beef

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)

• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (about 0.5-inch segment)

• 2 scallions, chopped into quarter-inch pieces, dark greens reserved for garnish

• 2 tablespoons sake

• 2 tablespoons mirin

• 1 tablespoon shoyu or light soy sauce

• 0.25 cup low-sodium chicken stock, dashi, or water

• 1.5 pounds medium to firm silken tofu, cut into 0.5-inch cubes

• Steamed rice and chile oil, for serving

• Combine cornstarch and water

• heat oil, cook meat, cook for a minute or so (add garlic chile sauce for fun here)

• add garlic, ginger, scallion greens, fry until fragrant

• add sake, mirin, shoyu, stock. boil

• pour in cornstarch to thicken

• fold in tofu and serve