This Egg Tofu with Minced Pork is an easy and flavorful recipe that comes together in 45 minutes. The sauce is savory, sweet, and goes perfectly with a bowl of rice. I recently made this for my wifeโs family and they loved it.
Can't get enough of tofu? Try my Tofu With Oyster Sauce next!
๐ฅก About This Recipe
Egg tofu is a special type of tofu made with soy milk, water, and eggs. It has a smooth, custard-like texture and turns a beautiful golden brown when pan-fried.
The most important thing to keep in mind with egg tofu is that it is very delicate. If you are not careful, it will crumble into small pieces very easily. I find egg tofu is most likely to break when you are pan-frying it because it tends to stick to the pan. This is why I recommend using a nonstick pan and going very slow when you flip them.
I use a fish spatula when I flip the tofu. A fish spatula has a sharper edge than regular spatulas, which makes it easier to slide underneath the tofu.
The sauce for the tofu is inspired by Zha Jiang Mian which is a traditional noodle dish from Beijing. I am borrowing the garlic, ginger, and sweet bean sauce flavors. Many people do not have sweet bean sauce, so I tested it with hoisin sauce, and it tastes just as good.
๐ง Ingredients
- Egg Tofu: You can buy this from most Asian markets and it usually comes in a small plastic tube. There is a dotted line on the packaging that you can cut through, then you just squeeze the end to push it out.
- Ground Pork: I am using ground pork, but you can also use ground beef or chicken.
- Aromatics: Ginger, garlic, and scallions (for garnishing). I will sometimes double or triple the amount of garlic or ginger to give even more flavor.
- Sauce: Chicken stock, hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, brown sugar, and salt. For the chicken stock, I am using chicken bouillon powder mixed with water.
- Cornstarch: For thickening the sauce.
- Oil: Any neutral flavored oil like canola.
๐ช Instructions
STEP 1: Cut the plastic casing along the dotted lines. Gently squeeze the closed end to push out the egg tofu. Cut into โ -inch thick slices and transfer onto a dry dish towel to absorb moisture. I will usually let it sit here for at least 30 minutes to get out as much moisture as possible.
STEP 2: Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add as many tofu pieces as you can and fry each side for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Be gentle with each tofu as they are very delicate and tend to break. Once cooked, transfer to a serving dish.
STEP 3: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 5-10 seconds until they smell fragrant. Add the ground pork and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the meat is no longer pink.
STEP 4: Reduce the heat to medium, add the hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, and brown sugar, and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.
STEP 5: In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Stir it into the sauce and give it a few seconds to thicken. Finally, pour the sauce over top of the egg tofu and garnish with chopped green onions or cilantro. Serve immediately.
๐ Recipe
Egg Tofu with Minced Pork
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- ยผ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Fried Tofu
- 2 8-ounce packages egg tofu
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil
Stir-fry
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 ยฝ tablespoons garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
- 170 g ground pork
- ยพ cup chicken stock (or water)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 scallion (sliced)
Instructions
Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
Fried Tofu
- Cut egg tofu into โ -inch thick slices and place them on a dry dish towel to absorb excess moisture. I will usually let it sit here for at least 30 minutes to get out as much moisture as possible.
- Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add as many tofu pieces as you can and fry each side for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Be gentle with each tofu as they are very delicate and tend to break. Once cooked, transfer to a serving dish.
Stir-fry
- Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 5-10 seconds. Add the ground pork and cook for 2-3 minutes until no longer pink.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the sauce mixture. Cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Stir it into the sauce and give it a few seconds to thicken. Finally, pour the sauce over top of the egg tofu and garnish with scallions. Serve immediately.
Andrea L
This recipe was amazing! Even my husband who doesnโt like tofu loved it. Thanks for the recipe!