SZECHUAN TOFU GROUND PORK STIR-FRY
Sichuan cuisine (romanized as Szechwan cuisine) is a style of Chinese cooking originating from Sichuan Province. It has bold flavors, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting with preparing dishes with garlic and chili peppers, and the unique flavor of cooking with Sichuan peppercorn. Other well recognized Szechuan dishes included: Kung Pao chicken or beef, Shredded pork in garlic sauce, Spicy deep-fried chicken, Twice-cooked pork, Hot & sour soup.
Sichuan cuisine often contains food preserved through pickling, salting and drying. Preserved dishes are generally served as spicy dishes with heavy application of chili oil. Other commonly used spices in Sichuan cuisine are garlic, chili peppers, ginger and star anise.
This Szechuan stir fry recipe is a perfect blend of savory, sweet and spicy. Chili peppers (which include red pepper flakes, or chili paste) are combined with garlic, ginger, soy sauce to create a complex, savory, spicy stir fry with a touch of sweetness from brown sugar. Szechuan peppercorns add the remaining spicy flavor ( I use a chili pepper flake/ chili paste mixture sauce that already has the peppercorns added or use black pepper or peppercorns).
With a little advanced prep time, you can have dinner on the table in 20 minutes! Prepare the marinade sauce in large quantities and keep on hand in the refrigerator and it will be ready anytime you want to cook a sensational stir-fry dish (Szechuan Style).
To make a basic Szechwan Sauce, use the following ingredients:
- Soy Sauce: This will be the base of the sauce, I recommend low-sodium.
- Sweetener: Maple syrup, brown sugar, or any keto preferred sweetener may be used.
- Chili Garlic Sauce: Sriracha or prepared sauces (Asian markets carry numerous brands).
- Rice Vinegar or Vinegar Wine: gives a flavor or acts as a natural acidic aroma and taste/ preservative.
- Seasonings: Chinese five spice powder, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder and ground ginger.
On a vegetarian diet, prepare without the meat and add Shiitake mushrooms and additional veggies: (shredded red cabbage, carrots, asparagus, green beans, red, yellow or orange bell peppers, onions and Asian egg plant).
Add 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil and heat on high, add garlic and ginger.
Quickly brown garlic and ginger.
Add 2 more tablespoons of grapeseed oil and heat to high, add ground meat and stir-fry for one minute and then turn down heat to medium.
Stir-fry meat until the outside surface is slightly browned and meat is still pink. Do not overheat and dry out meat!
Crushed red pepper mixture.
Mix meat with pepper mixture until meat is evenly coated. If drying occurs, add water.
One block of firm or medium firm tofu.
Cut tofu into 1/2″ squares.
Fresh bamboo shoot
Slice one large bamboo shoot.
Add bamboo shoot and combine with meat. Continue to stir-fry for one minute.
Add tofu and spread evenly on top of ground pork. DO NOT STIR TOFU AFTER ADDING TO SKILLET, IN ORDER TO KEEP TOFU PIECES FROM BREAKING APART. Tofu will get firmed after braising and you can stir it once it is cooked.
Pour in marinade mixture, broth or water and cook until bringing to a simmer. Simmer, covered over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until tofu becomes tender and the sauce has reduced to half the original amount.
Cook until sauce thickens. Turn off heat and transfer to serving platter. Add green onion stalks sliced 1/2″ for garnish.
Serve immediately over keto riced cauliflower or Quinoa. (one half cup of cooked Quinoa) is around 17 grams of net carbs. If you can maintain ketosis while eating a higher range of carbs, Quinoa or brown rice would be fine.
Everything looks so good!!!!!!
Thank you Ellen for following my recipes!
That looks so good! This is my kind of entree. Five Spice is my go to with most all my Chinese dishes and nothing beats the fragrance and taste if fresh ground Szechuan Pepper Corns. Your dishes always are tasty.
Thank you Renny for the compliments! I’m glad you love the spicy flavors of Szechuan style cooking…Five Spice adds so much complexity and savoriness to sweet and savory Asian dishes!