Miso Pork and Tofu

Method11 steps · about 25 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Remove the two purchased ready-to-eat soft-tofu (2 boxes) blocks from their boxes, gently rinse, and put each on a separate plate or shallow dish. Keep the plates refrigerated while making the hot pork sauce. Drain off any water that collects before topping.

   Uses 2 boxes ready-to-eat soft tofu, about 14–19 oz per box · Water as needed to gently rinse tofu

2. 2

   Step 2: Heat a little actual cooking oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the one pound ground pork and cook for a few minutes, breaking it into small pieces, until it starts to brown.

   Uses 1 lb ground pork · A little cooking oil as needed to brown pork

3. 3

   Step 3: Add all eight minced garlic cloves to the same browning pork and cook for another 1 minute.

   Cook pork with garlic · 1 minUses One browning ground-pork batch in its pan · 8 cloves garlic, minced

4. 4

   Step 4: Add half the chopped green-onion bunch to that same pan and cook for another 1 minute. Keep the other half for the topping.

   Cook first onion half · 1 minUses Existing pork and garlic pan · Half the chopped green-onion bunch for cooking

5. 5

   Step 5: Stir the 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin and one chosen 2 tbsp draw of sake or chicken broth into the existing pork pan.

   Uses One pork garlic and half-onion batch · 1 tbsp soy sauce · 1 tbsp mirin · 2 tbsp sake or chicken broth

6. 6

   Step 6: Stir all the 1 tbsp cornstarch into the ¼ cup water until smooth, then pour that one slurry into the pork pan. Stir over the heat until the sauce bubbles and begins to thicken.

   Uses 1 tbsp cornstarch · ¼ cup water for cornstarch slurry · One seasoned pork sauce pan

7. 7

   Step 7: Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in all the 3 tbsp white miso until dissolved. Continue as needed until the ground pork is cooked through and reaches 160°F (71°C), and the sauce is thickened.

   Uses One thickening pork sauce with its slurry · 3 tbsp white miso paste

8. 8

   Step 8: Stir the one tablespoon finishing sesame oil into the fully cooked pork sauce, then turn off the heat.

   Uses One fully cooked miso-pork sauce batch · 1 tbsp sesame oil for finishing

9. 9

   Step 9: Drain any collected water from the two chilled tofu plates, holding the blocks gently in place. Divide the one hot cooked pork sauce equally over those two drained tofu blocks. Divide the remaining half-bunch of green onions over them.

   Uses Two chilled drained ready-to-eat tofu blocks · One fully cooked hot pork sauce batch · Remaining half-bunch green onions for topping

10. 10

    Step 10: If wanted, add actual optional roasted sesame seeds and chili oil. Serve the two topped tofu blocks as four portions with actual ready-cooked rice, enjoying the hot sauce and chilled soft tofu together.

    Uses Two completed hot-pork and cold-tofu plates · Roasted sesame seeds as wanted, optional · Chili oil as wanted, optional · Ready-cooked rice as wanted for serving

11. 11

    Step 11: Refrigerate actual leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days, or sooner if the tofu product requires it. Reheat the actual leftover portion to 165°F (74°C) throughout; keep unused chilled tofu refrigerated according to its package directions.

    Uses Actual leftover tofu and cooked pork sauce