Cedar Planked Tofu
So up until now, I have posted some carnilicious recipes that you all can enjoy every day of the week. But what happens when you have guests. You are probably saying, “Bob, can I really win over their hearts and minds with a bowl of rice and beans?” Well, if you use my recipe for beans and rice with my patent pending ranch dressing, then yes you can. Nodding in agreement, you are probably saying, “you are right Bob; however, my husband’s (or wife’s) boss is coming over. I will need to produce something so fabulous that a big fat, juicy raise and extra stock options will follow.”
Don’t fret folks because I have just the recipe for you. This next recipe combines lots of flavor, a bit of smokiness, and just the right amount of fancy to impress even the toughest critics. Also, you cook this meal on the grill outside giving your significant other a chance to pontificate how great they are to the boss. Yes, an increase in the old W-2 is just around the corner. For your next important dinner party, I present cedar planked salmon. I mean CEDAR PLANKED TOFU.
Oops, obviously some sort of Freudian slip from my former meat eating days. However, this recipe is derived from a “go-to” I use when entertaining. You see the recipe sounds like it could be on the menu of a fine dining establishment, but it is as easy as it is delicious. Plus the recipe is an excuse to fire up the grill. And if I can grill it, it will be grilled. Remember, it is a scientific fact that fire was invented to cook stuff.
So armed with everything you need to impress and pull off fancy, I send you outside to the grill. Just make sure you leave behind plenty of wine, tasty snacks, and your satellite radio or Pandora set to the 80’s station. Because when you finish on the grill, you can feel confident saying to your significant other’s boss that this meal is gonna “Rock you like hurricane!”– Scorpions.
Ingredients
- 1 Lb. Extra Firm Tofu
- 6 Oz. Pineapple Juice
- 2 Tbs. Brown Sugar
- 3 Tbs. Soy Sauce
- 1 Tsp. Onion Powder
- 2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
- 2 Tsp. Dried Thyme
- ½ Tsp. Ground Ginger (optional)
- ¼ Cup Maple Syrup
- 1 Cedar Plank
Instructions
The day before your esteemed guest or guests arrive, you will need to press and freeze your tofu. You can refer to my older post “Tofu doesn’t have to suck” for instructions. Then a couple of hours before the big dinner party, pull your tofu out of the freezer and re-press it for about an hour. While your tofu is pressing, submerge your cedar plank in water for at least an hour. Soaking the plank prevents it from igniting on the grill allowing the cedar to smoke and infuse flavor into the tofu. You can get cedar planks in most grocery stores or specialty food shops. I even saw some the other day at Target. And feel free to “wow” your guests with that “smoke infused flavor” bit. Remember, we are going for fancy here.
Next, you will want to make your marinade. So combine the pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, spices, and maple syrup in a bowl and whisk to combine. I actually forgo the bowl and put everything in a gallon zip-lock bag, then I seal up the bag and give it a good shake. I know a plastic bag isn’t fancy, but who says you have to spend more time in the kitchen washing dishes. Once you have your marinade complete, add your tofu and let it to soak for at least an hour in the frig.
Now, go outside and fire up your grill. You are looking for medium-low heat as you want to smoke the tofu not grill it. Place your cedar plank on the grill and top with the tofu slices. Don’t throw out the marinade because you are going to baste the tofu every seven minutes. At this point, there will be a good deal of smoke rolling out of your grill. The cedar plank will char and even smolder, but don’t worry. As long as there are no flames coming from the plank, you are fine…this is the smoke infusion thing I was talking about. So leave the lid on tight and allow the cedar to do it’s job. If you do see flames, turn down the heat just a bit.
On my grill, this process takes about 25 minutes. You tofu is done when it has a dark amber color and the cedar plank is good and crispy. From here all you need is a couple of tasty side dishes like a garlic chive pearled barley (future post) and grilled balsamic asparagus (future post).
Notes
To achieve maximum texture with the tofu, I suggest you press the tofu the night before. Freeze it, then re-press the tofu
Main Ingredients
So come in, plate up dinner, impress your guests, and when it is all over, you and your significant other can discuss what you are going to do with all that extra income. In those discussions, feel free to send some extra cash my way if you want. I am not proud. And remember, fancy is only a cedar plank away. Longer Letter Later.
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
[…] the flavor a raw flame gives to food. Fire was invented to cook stuff. And, as I mentioned in my Cedar Planked Tofu post, “if I can grill it, it will be grilled.” So recently, the first real day of spring left […]