Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Homestyle Braised Tofu with Pork and Vegetables

家常豆腐

Finished homestyle braised tofu with pork and vegetables

Total time: 55 min
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

Golden tofu braised with pork, wood ear and peppers makes a colourful family main dish.

01

Ingredients

Main ingredients

600 g soft tofu
250 g sliced pork
20 g dried wood ear mushrooms
150 g green bell pepper
150 g red bell pepper
10 g ginger
3 cloves garlic

Marinade

1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sesame oil

Sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
250 ml water

Other

2 tbsp cooking oil

Ingredients for tofu, pork and vegetables

02

Tools

kitchen knife
cutting board
mixing bowl
measuring spoons
measuring cup
frying pan
wok
spatula
tongs
food thermometer

Home tools for braised tofu

03

Steps

Homestyle Braised Tofu with Pork and Vegetables — Soak wood ear

Step 1

Soak wood ear

Soak dried wood ear in clean water, trim hard bases and rinse. Time: 15 minutes.

Homestyle Braised Tofu with Pork and Vegetables — Drain and cut tofu

Step 2

Drain and cut tofu

Drain tofu and cut into 3 cm cubes.

Homestyle Braised Tofu with Pork and Vegetables — Check and slice pork

Step 3

Check and slice pork

Thaw pork in the refrigerator, inspect and slice thinly across the grain.

Homestyle Braised Tofu with Pork and Vegetables — Marinate the pork

Step 4

Marinate the pork

Mix pork with light soy, cornstarch and sesame oil and refrigerate. Time: 15 minutes.

Homestyle Braised Tofu with Pork and Vegetables — Prepare vegetables

Step 5

Prepare vegetables

Tear wood ear, cut peppers into 3 cm pieces, slice ginger and mince garlic.

Homestyle Braised Tofu with Pork and Vegetables — Pan-fry tofu

Step 6

Pan-fry tofu

Heat half the oil and pan-fry tofu until golden on several sides, then remove. Time: 6 minutes.

Homestyle Braised Tofu with Pork and Vegetables — Stir-fry pork

Step 7

Stir-fry pork

Heat remaining oil and stir-fry pork just until its colour changes, then remove. Time: 4 minutes.

Homestyle Braised Tofu with Pork and Vegetables — Saute vegetables

Step 8

Saute vegetables

Saute ginger and garlic, then add wood ear and both peppers. Time: 3 minutes.

Homestyle Braised Tofu with Pork and Vegetables — Mix braising sauce

Step 9

Mix braising sauce

Mix oyster sauce, dark soy, sugar and water.

Homestyle Braised Tofu with Pork and Vegetables — Combine and braise

Step 10

Combine and braise

Return tofu and pork, add sauce, cover and braise gently. Time: 8 minutes.

Homestyle Braised Tofu with Pork and Vegetables — Check pork doneness

Step 11

Check pork doneness

Probe the thickest pork slice and confirm it is fully cooked. The centre must reach 75°C.

Homestyle Braised Tofu with Pork and Vegetables — Rest and serve

Step 12

Rest and serve

Turn off the heat, rest, then fold gently and serve. Time: 2 minutes.

Common mistakes

Unbrowned tofu can break during braising.
Untrimmed wood ear has tough bases.

Tips

Turn browned tofu gently with a spatula.

Brief braising helps peppers retain colour.