Mapo tofu with ground beef

Rinse the fermented black beans and roughly chop them.

Grind the toasted Sichuan peppercorns in a mortar and pestle until there are no big lumps.

Saute the ground beef with no oil, to render its fat, seasoning with soy sauce and breaking it up. Once cooked, let the liquid evaporate so the beef browns. Set aside.

Add a little oil to the pan, enough to saute the finely chopped ginger and garlic, scraping up the brown bits, until the garlic is soft and starting to brown.

Add black pepper and half the ground Sichuan peppercorns (save the rest), then the fermented black beans and 2 tablespoons chili bean paste. Saute briefly.

Deglaze with unsalted pork or chicken stock (or water). Add Chinese cooking wine if using and some sugar to balance the saltiness.

Return the beef and simmer about 5 minutes so the flavours mingle.

Stir in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and water, half at a time, bringing back to a boil before judging the thickness; it should have body without being overly thick.

Taste and adjust the seasoning now, adding soy sauce if needed, before the tofu goes in.

Slide in the tofu cut into big cubes, nudge it into the sauce without stirring, and simmer a few more minutes.

Finish with an optional drizzle of chili oil, green onions, and the reserved Sichuan peppercorns. Serve with hot white rice.