Vietnamese Stuffed Tofu in Tomato Sauce (Đậu Hủ Nhồi Thịt)

Ingredients

• 11 oz (1 package) fried tofu
• 6 oz ground pork (can sub with beef, chicken or turkey)
• 12 oz finely diced tomatoes (2 medium Romas)
• 2 grams dried wood ear mushroom (1 small whole piece, optional)
• 2 green onions (thinly sliced, whites and greens separated)
• 2 tablespoons finely minced shallot (divided)
• 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic (divided)
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (divided)
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (I’m using vegetable oil)
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup

Steps

1. 1

   If using dried wood ear mushrooms, soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes until softened (use hot water to speed this up). Drain, discard the tough middle, and finely chop. Finely dice the tomatoes. Cut the fried tofu into triangles then cut slits into the tofu triangles to create pockets.

2. 2

   In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, chopped wood ear mushrooms, half of the shallot, half of the garlic, whites of the green onion, oyster sauce and half of ground black pepper. Mix until everything is combined.

3. 3

   Spoon the pork filling into each tofu pocket. Don’t be afraid to overstuff them. The meat mixture shrinks as it cooks, and packing them generously prevents the filling from slipping out. I like to use a spoon to open the slit, then use my thumb to move the filling inside.

4. 4

   Heat cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the stuffed tofu to the pan, meat-side down first. This sears and seals the filling so it won’t fall out. Fry the remaining sides to bring them back to life with that delicious, fried flavor. (Note: You can actually stop right here and enjoy the stuffed fried tofu as-is).

5. 5

   In the same pan, push the tofu to the edges of you have to clear the middle. In the middle, you can add a tad more oil if there’s not enough then sauté the remaining shallots and garlic until fragrant (about 20 seconds). Add the diced tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. The tomatoes will break down to create a sauce. Season the sauce with fish sauce, ketchup and black pepper.

6. 6

   Once the tomatoes have cooked down into a sauce, gently toss the stuffed tofu to coat evenly. Garnish with remaining green parts of green onions and remaining ground black pepper. Serve with steamed rice for a complete meal.