Szechuan Spicy Tofu (Mapo Tofu)

Cut soft/silken tofu into cubes and blanch in hot water to firm up.

Brown the ground pork or beef in a wok with a little oil.

Stir in doubanjiang (spicy bean paste), ginger, garlic, and fermented black beans (douchu).

Add a splash of broth or water and simmer slightly.

Carefully slide the tofu cubes into the sauce (be gentle so they don't break).

Thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry.

Finish with a generous dusting of ground Szechuan peppercorns and chopped scallions.