Ma Po Beancake

 Ingredients:

8 oz Firm Tofu, large cubes

2 oz Tree Ear Mushrooms, picked

2 oz Water Chestnuts, sliced

4 oz Ground Pork

Pinch each Garlic, minced

Ginger, minced

Scallion, minced

Sichuan Peppercorn, ground

2 ½ oz Soy Sauce

1 T Sugar

1 T Hot Bean Sauce

Dash Dark Soy Sauce

Dash Chile Oil

 Dash Salt

Dash Sichuan Peppercorn

Slurry, to thicken

6 Scallion tops

Dash Sesame Oil

Directions:

Poach the tofu and the vegetables and drain. In the wok, stir-fry the pork over medium heat, breaking it up. Add the pinches of garlic, ginger, minced scallion and peppercorn, and cook with the pork. When the pork is mostly cooked, add the soy sauces, sugar, hot bean sauce and Chile oil. Add the tofu and the vegetables, toss and reduce heat. Add salt and Sichuan pepper to taste. Thicken the sauce with the slurry. Add the scallion tops and toss. Finish with the sesame oil. Serve.