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Beef-Tofu-Vermicelli

COVID-19 special, whipped up from whatever I had in the house.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef (preferably organic and low-fat)
• A 12-oz container of firm Tofu
• Half a bag (6oz) of vermicelli
• Chinese fermented black beans, e.g. Douchi (available on Amazon)
• Korean red chili powder (Gochugaru), e.g. Tae-kyung (ditto) (optional)
• 4-6 cloves of fresh garlic (or less, to taste)
• Ginger (fresh or sushi)
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Sesame oil
• Soy sauce
• Rice vinegar

Directions:

1. An hour before starting, put an ounce or two of black beans in water to soak to get the salt out and to soften them. You don't need a lot, they have a very strong taste.
2. Rinse the black beans.
3. Boil the vermicelli according to directions on the bag.
4. Chop the garlic and ginger
5. Cut the Tofu into cubes of the desired size, e.g. 3/4 inch.
6. Oil a big skillet and turn the heat on high.
7. Put the ground beef in bowl, ground black pepper to taste, add the chopped garlic and ginger, and black beans, and about a tablespoon of the red chili powder.
8. Put on rubber gloves (because of the red chili powder) and mush it all together.
9. Put the mushed-up meat in the skillet, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
10. Add the tofu.
11. Move it all around in the pan until the meat is no longer pink
12. Add the vermicelli, then a few drops of sesame oil, a splash of soy or tamari sauce, and a splash of rice vinegar (a little sake or white wine might be good too).
13. Push it around in the pan until it's well mixed, then turn off the heat and take it out of the pan right away, so the ground beef doesn't get hard.

Makes 4 or 5 main-course dinners. Would have been better with some greens like bok choy or broccoli, but it's also mighty good just like this. Reheat in microwave.

I've also made it without bean curd; with chicken instead of beef; with turnips and bok choy, and broccoli rabe and bok choy.

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