Grilled Soy Sesame Tofu

Posted by Dacia on Mar 1, 2010 in Photos, Recipes, Successes | 8 comments

Tofu gets an undeserved bad rap. It’s not like tofu has some kind of strong, offensive flavor. It’s virtually tasteless, absorbing the flavors of whatever sauce you pair it with, much like chicken. I think the fact that tofu is not meat but is used to imitate meat is what scares people off. And I get that. Tofu dogs, soy bacon. Neither are nearly as good as their meat-based counterparts. But I don’t think that’s tofu’s fault. It’s all the other junk they add to try and create the “meat flavor.” Without using meat. I mean, how can that not be gross?

Tofu that is allowed to be tofu is a convenient, tasty food. Maybe that’s why so many Asian dishes feature tofu–stir fries, noodle bowls, soups, etc. Fried tofu is hard to resist, but that’s a dish I leave to professionals. I can never get home-fried tofu as crispy as I want it to be.

Grilling tofu is quick and easy, and it gives the protein a fantastic smoky flavor. Grilled tofu is great on a sandwich with grilled veggies and cheese, or served front and center with a side of rice and steamed veggies.

Neko likes tofu fresh, straight from the box. Which is when tofu is at its most flavorless. Don’t ask me. Since she generally shuns poultry, I’m always happy to see her eat any form of protein. And since raw tofu is safe, I let her go for it. Luckily she also enjoyed this dish after it was cooked.

It’s always a good idea to press and drain tofu to get liquid out before cooking. To do this, remove your block of tofu from the packaging and wrap it in paper towels. Set it on a plate and top it with another plate, then put something heavy on top, such as a teapot. Let this sit for 30 minutes, then, if you have time, replace the paper towels and do it all again for another 30 minutes.

Tofu soaks up a marinade like a sponge. You don’t want to marinate tofu for much longer than an hour, though, as it can start to get mushy.

Grilled Soy Sesame Tofu

Marinade
1 T sesame oil
1 T olive oil
¼ cup soy sauce
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 T sugar

1 package of tofu
2 T chopped cilantro
1 T sesame seeds
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Slice the tofu horizontally into quarters, then cut each slab into three triangles. Mix together all of the marinade ingredients and pour over the tofu. Let rest for 30 minutes to an hour.

Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan. Remove the tofu pieces from the marinade and grill on both sides until brown grill marks appear. Place the tofu on a serving plate and sprinkle with chopped cilantro and sesame seeds.

Serve with red pepper flakes on the side for grown-ups.