• ½ cup oil(divided)
• 1-2 fresh Thai bird chili peppers (thinly sliced)
• 6-8 dried red chilies (roughly chopped)
• 1/2- 1 1/2 tablespoons pepper
• 3 tablespoons ginger (finely minced)
• 3 tablespoons garlic (finely minced)
• 8 ounces minced pork
• 1-2 tablespoons spicy bean sauce (depending on your desired salt/spice levels)
• 2/3 cup low sodium chicken broth (or water)
• 1 pound silken tofu (cut into 1 inch/2.5cm cubes)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)
• 1 spring onions (finely chopped)

Instructions:

• Combine ground meat, cooking wine, soy sauce, and ginger in a small bowl. Mix well.
• Combine cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
• Add the ground meat and Doubanjiang. Cook over medium heat and chop the ground meat into small bits with a spatula, until pork is evenly coated with Doubanjiang and fully cooked through. Add green onion and stir fry for another minute.
• Spread tofu evenly on top of ground pork. Add chilli oil and sugar. Pour in the broth and cook until brought to a simmer. Simmer, covered, over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to half the original amount. Taste the tofu with some broth (be careful, it will be very hot!). Adjust seasoning by adding salt if needed. If the dish is too spicy, add another teaspoon of sugar to balance it out. Gently mix well with spatula.
• Mix cornstarch water again until fully dissolved and swirl it into the skillet. Gently stir a few times with a spatula, until sauce thickens. Turn off heat and transfer everything to a bowl.
• Garnish with extra green onion and a small pinch of the ground Sichuan peppercorns, if using, if using. Serve hot over steamed rice or by itself as main.