Polly's MAPO TOFU #2

I had another urge to try making the MAPO TOFU.   I missed the chance to visit the Szechwan restaurant while in Japan.  Just did not have enough time in a day!   What a bummer! I was there but couldn't make it.   So here is my #2 try for myself.   Result?  It's missing that Szechwan chili's kick.  Likely I have to revisit it again.  

This is another tasty lunch  Bento of mine.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp Organic sugar
• 2 tsp Organic soy sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp fermented black bean paste
• 1 Tbsp Chinese Chili Paste - RA-JIAN, I did not have 1/2 tsp Szechwan peppercorns, black seeds removed then ground (optional)
• 2 tsp Douban jiang (chili bean paste)
• 1 Tbsp EVOO
• 6 ounces ground pork - finely chopped
• 2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 1 Tbsp cooking wine
• 4 green onions white part only, minced but if you only have green part, that's fine, too.
• 1 cup chicken broth less sodium
• 2 tsp potato starch - premixed with some of the chicken broth
• 1 package of Organic Firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• green part of green onions minced for garnish

"Go Cook Rice!" -  Steam your rice first and set it aside.
In Wok (I used Teflon coated), add 1 Tbsp EVOO.  Heat up (medium high), then stir fry ground pork.  Separate into fine individual nodules as much as you can.   If you are using a stainless frying pan, heat the pan well, then, add EVOO and wait till EVOO begin to shimmer, then, add ground pork to prevent from sticking to the bottom of the frying pan.
Add ginger and garlic.   Add cooking wine (deodorize pork and add nice flavor) and stir fry until it evaporates.   Add white part of the green onions or green onions and stir fry till meat is slightly browner than tan pink.  I like my meat brown a bit to bring out more flavor to the dish.   Then, Add sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, fermented black bean paste, chili paste. Medium heat.   Stir fry until aromatic.   Add 1 C chicken stock to the wok.   Stir the potato starch with 2 Tbsp of Chicken stock.  Add to wok.  Stir.   Add cut up TOFU and scoop the meat mixture over and gently stir without cutting into TOFU - heat through the TOFU.  The slur will thicken the chicken stock in the mean time.  Lower the heat to medium low and cook for one more minute.  Remove. Garnish with chopped green onions.   Serve with rice.