Barbecue Tofu

For the past couple times I have bought tofu, I will put the block directly in the freezer. It changes the texture and the tofu will soak up flavors more. Click here to read about freezing tofu.

Tofu is like a sponge, it soaks up anything you marinade it in. My mother in law makes this yummy barbecue tofu, which this recipe is adapted from. She makes her own barbecue sauce, which I don't know the ingredients of except for one: Peanut butter. I know it sounds weird but adding a couple tablespoons of creamy peanut butter adds a nice complexity to the barbecue sauce without overpowering it. You can use a bottled bbq sauce if you like. The sweet ones seem to work for this application (honey barbecue) and seem to take the flavor of the peanut butter well. Making your own bbq sauce is simple enough if you don't have any on hand. I used this recipe as a base and started adding my own touch (see my notes in red). This is also great to snack on the next day right out of the refrigerator, of course if you are patient you could reheat it.

Neely's Barbecue Sauce

1 medium onion roughly chopped sauteed in 1 tablespoon olive oil until soft and golden

2 cups ketchup

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 5 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons sugar <--I used smoked muscavado brown sugar instead
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder<-- I used garlic powder instead
• 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce <-- Annie's brand makes a vegetarian Worchestershire
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 2 teaspoons of Chipotle tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 
  
• In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour 15 minutes.

From: www.foodnetwork.com

To assemble the Tofu:

Thaw frozen tofu (make sure it's extra firm and not silken) completely and gently squeeze out excess liquid (I put the block of tofu between two cutting boards and add a little pressure.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut tofu block into rib-like pieces. Spread a layer of barbecue sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish (some times I layer sliced onion on the bottom). Arrange the tofu cut size down (this will help it soak up the barbecue sauce) and spoon more barbecue sauce on top of each of the pieces. Bake for 20 minutes or until the barbecue is bubbling and the tofu looks a little caramelized, turning the pieces over halfway through the baking process.