Place cubed tofu into a deep mixing bowl, cover with hot water and let sit for 10 minutes.
Place a wok over high heat and heat vegetable oil in the wok until it's smoking hot.
Once the oil is heated, brown pork or beef in the wok, breaking it up into small pieces.
Once the meat is just brown, add the chili bean paste and cook until the meat is deep red in color, about a minute.
Add the ginger, garlic and scallions to the wok and cook until softened slightly, about 2 minutes.
Pour in the Shaoxing wine to deglaze the pan. Then add the light soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, salt, optional MSG, black beans and sugar. Cook until just combined.
Pour the chicken stock in the wok. Cook for one minute.
Gently add the tofu. Bring the wok to a simmer and cook gently. stirring the tofu from the outside to the center of the wok for about 5 minutes.
Add a 1/4 teaspoon each of the chili powder and the Sichuan pepper powder. Gradually add more of the spices until a desirable level of heat and numbing spice is achieved.
Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and then gradually add to the wok to thicken the dish.
Once the Mapo Tofu reaches the desired thickness, pour the finished dish into a large serving bowl and drizzle sesame oil on top, Add a light dusting of Sichuan pepper powder.
Sprinkle slices of scallion greens on top as a garnish.
Pro Tips
If soft tofu isn't available, you can use silken tofu.
Follow your tastebuds to achieve a desirable level of heat and spiciness.