Tofu Rules, Damn It
We need to talk about tofu. As the Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger mania sweeps the globe, vegan OG protein is being left behind – and I, for one, hate to see it. If you’re serious about reducing your dependence on animal products, tofu can change your diet and life for the better.
To some extent, I understand why so many people, especially American meat eaters, resist the whole concept of tofu. Western culture has relentlessly (and racistically) slandered the humble soy protein ever since we knew it, which is why many of us have been programmed from birth to think it’s trash.
I ask you to reconsider. When cooked properly, tofu is a textural miracle that ranges from tender and sweet to deep-fried and crunchy. Its unrivaled ability to absorb aroma makes it a real chameleon; it really can be whatever you want. I’ve loved tofu my whole meaty life, and I’m here to convert skeptics. Welcome to my Tofu Manifesto.
You are probably thinking wrong about tofu.
The biggest and most misleading misconception is that tofu is purely a meat substitute. Of course, this could be the case if necessary, but the closest analogue to animal protein tofu is actually the egg. The eggs themselves are tasteless; their feature makes them able to transform into a dizzying array of shapes and textures. As much as you love eggs – fried crispy eggs with lace edges , soft ones, whipped with a lot of butter, or cooked into a fluffy, tender frittata – I bet your preference comes down to texture, not taste.
It’s the same with tofu, so I’m skeptical that people claim they don’t like the taste of it . Soft and silky tofu has a more noticeable soy milk flavor than solid tofu, but for the most part it doesn’t add any flavor to the dish. Tofu tastes the same as the sauce it’s served in – it’s mostly about texture.
Tofu is incredibly easy to make
Contrary to popular belief, delicious tofu is virtually effortless. In fact, all the usual hacks try too hard: the press takes forever (and the freeze takes even longer); pickling often gives very mediocre results; the cornstarch dredge oozes out too easily. None of these techniques work particularly well with medium to soft tofu, and aside from pickling, they also add absolutely nothing as a seasoning.
For all these reasons and more, the salt water trick is the only one worth knowing. Hot salt water is a triple threat to tofu cooking: it dehydrates hard tofu so it quickly becomes crunchy, makes superfragile soft tofu to keep it from falling apart, and season everything through and through. Plus, it adds as much of a hassle to cooking dinner as boiling pasta. I’ll talk a little about specific techniques; For now, just know that salt water hacking has transformed tofu from something I sometimes bought into a legitimate product I can’t live without.
In case you remain indifferent, I have collected my favorite foods and tofu preparations in one place, starting with the hated ones. This is not a recipe post – it’s all about the technique. (If possible, I’ll link to the specific recipes I used and explain how I adapted them to work with tofu, in the hope that you’ll be doing the same soon.)
Even tough skeptics love fried tofu puffs
Tofu puffs are cheap, tasty, deep-fried, flavored biscuits that require no preparation; in other words, they are easy to love. You can toss them whole in curries and stews for a fun textured element, but I highly recommend taking 30 seconds to cut them in half. With exposed honeycomb-like insides, these plump little nuggets soak up sauce like no other, without sacrificing their crunchiness.
To show off, I prepared my favorite Maangchi recipe –cheese buldak or fried chicken and cheese –with half layers of tofu instead of chicken breast.
These two ingredients are clearly not alike, but the exchange works entirely thanks to the insanely powerful sauce. Red-hot in both color and spice level, surprisingly sweet, with just enough fresh ginger and garlic to style your chest hair, it more than makes up for the weakness for something as bland as unseasoned chicken breast or tofu. Having cooked this chicken dish dozens of times, I must say – I prefer puff meat. Even soaked in the sauce, they remain light and fluffy, which contrasts perfectly with the very chewy texture of the sliced rice cakes and melted mozzarella.
Pressed tofu does (most of) the prep work for you
As the name suggests, the pressed tofu has already been pressed to remove most of the moisture, resulting in a delicious texture. You can buy it pre-seasoned with soy sauce and five spice powder, but I just like it so I can season it however I like.
Here I made a slightly spam- like concoction with about 2 tablespoons each of soy sauce and sugar, plus a teaspoon of garlic powder and some smoky hot sauce cocktails ( El Yucateco Black Label Reserve for life). I added some diced pressed tofu and gave everyone 20 minutes to hang out, flipping them halfway. Marinade doesn’t need much; a shallow layer is sufficient.
I then used it to get a super basic batch of fried rice with ginger, garlic, carrots, and frozen peas. The cubes were nicely crunchy and charred around the edges, which was exactly what I needed to add some substance to the huge bowl of fried carbs.
Unseasoned pressed tofu is also a great vegetarian “paneer”: cut into cubes and marinate in lemon juice and a few pinches of salt for 30 minutes, or longer if you have the time. As with regular paneer, tofu can be pan-fried or left alone; either way, you’ll be surprised how closely pickled tofu mimics the texture and flavor of a real dish.
Medium to firm tofu requires little maintenance
This range of tofu spectrum is the most recognizable and least attractive. I mean, just look at this:
In my experience, the distinction between medium, hard, and extra hard tofu is pretty pointless, and I use them all interchangeably. When raw, they all have a texture that is best described as “rubbery,” without any discernible taste. Their highest calling is to get crispy in a hot skillet and top with a flavored sauce.
All you need to make crunchy tofu is salt water, a nice non-stick skillet, and all for 20-30 minutes. That’s all. Here is my usual procedure for a standard 1 lb block.
Before preparing the other ingredients, I bring 2-3 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of table salt to a boil in a saucepan. Then I turn off the heat, put the diced or diced tofu in, and let it sit while I cook the rest of the recipe. After 15-20 minutes, I drain the water and either blot the tofu dry with clean towels or leave it in the colander until I need it.
For a crispy surface, I coat my large cast iron skillet with a thin layer of neutral oil and heat it to medium to high. Then I add the tofu, spread it out evenly and leave it alone for at least 5 minutes.
As soon as the edges start to brown, I flip it over and do the same for the other side.
Boom. Made. Obviously I used crumbled tofu here – it’s my favorite – but it also works well with cubes, slabs, triangles, or any other shape you can think of.
Don’t sleep on crumbled tofu
I know I said that tofu is not a meat substitute, but crunchy tofu crumbs are pretty damn close . In many cases, I prefer them over meat because they retain their shape – and are surprisingly crunchy – even when stewed for a long time. Sure, they won’t add to the richness you get with ground pork or ground beef, but with the right recipe, you won’t miss it at all.
Speaking of the right recipe, the spicy sweet pork sambal noodles created by Bon Appétit Test Kitchen Director Chris Morocco are flawless, but despite the name, I’ve never actually cooked them with meat. I only had tofu the first time I cooked them and they turned out to be so good that I don’t mind that I never know how they taste with pork.
I make the recipe exactly as it says, except – obviously – I leave the pork. Instead, I fry the soaked, crumbled hard tofu in a separate skillet while the sauce is simmering, then pour it out and toss it along with the cooked noodles. This cuts cooking time by at least 30 minutes without sacrificing anything other than pork, which I promise won’t even log.
You can also use tofu chips like ground beef. I usually add some chopped onions and garlic when the tofu gets nice and crispy, then cook it with a little tomato paste, taco seasoning, and cheap beer if I have one.
It’s not Beefy, exactly, but it tastes incredible in its own right, and makes a killer vegan friendly crunchwrap filling.
You can fry tofu too
Perhaps you’d rather not pour oil on the stove in the name of crispy tofu. In this case, fried tofu is for you. The results are directly comparable to frying in a pan – it just takes a little longer.
Start with soaked, dried tofu, preferably sliced into triangles or flat plates so they can be flipped easily. Place on a clean towel and let dry while oven preheats to 450ºF.
If desired, cut the vegetable of your choice into equal sized pieces and mix with one or two tablespoons of neutral oil; I use kabocha squash.
Place the baking sheet on the lower oven rack. After about 3 minutes, add 2-3 tablespoons of neutral oil to the pan, put back in the oven and heat for another minute or two. Gently transfer the tofu and vegetables to a hot, buttered skillet, return to the lower wire rack, and bake for at least 20 minutes. Turn everything over and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the tofu is very crispy on both sides and the vegetables are brown and tender.
You can eat the entire shebang straight out of the skillet – perhaps drizzled with hot peanut sauce or chili butter – but I added mine to a quick curry made with Maesri panang curry paste , palm sugar, and coconut milk. (Maesri is the only brand I’ve found doesn’t use shrimp paste or fish sauce; if you usually avoid cooked curry paste because of allergies or veganism, try it.)
To be honest, the kabocha was unsuccessful – the flesh was too dry and the skin was very tough. However, the crispy fried tofu gave a slap in the face . They can’t all be bandits; this is the nature of experimentation.
When you feel ready, silk tofu will be for you
The next stop on our de tofu tour is the most controversial and misunderstood: soft or silk tofu. Yes, it’s tasteless. Unprocessed coagulated soy milk won’t hit you with super concentrated minds or anything else. But when cooked right, soft tofu is more than just delicious taste – it’s absolutely great. I’m going to be cruel to him all day, and I would like to tell you why.
The dish that changed my mind about silk tofu came from Biwa, a now closed izakaya-style bar in Portland. It was deceptively simple: a whole block of chilled silk tofu sprinkled with sweet soy sauce and topped with slanting green onions, handfuls of toasted sesame seeds, and paper-thin bonito flakes. I ordered it every time and my friends always said, “Cold tofu? Why ? “But if I can convince them to take a bite, they will understand. It was like eating a very savory pannacotta.
Unfortunately, my long-gone tofu slab no longer exists – and my attempts to recreate it have been so unsuccessful that I have to settle for the next best thing: salt water soaked silky tofu sprinkled on hot white rice and drowned in chili oil. , soy sauce and black vinegar.
I’m not complaining. Once again, salt water plays a key role: It transforms a cold, slimy chunk of tofu into a tangy, savory custard that’s the perfect canvas for seasoning. Of course, there isn’t much textural contrast, but the softness is so nice and enjoyable that I think a crunchy element won’t actually do the job. This is a tasty, balanced and nutritious dish that can be cooked in the time it takes to make a pot of rice.
Putting it all together: All-tofu mapo tofu
Neglecting to mention mapo tofu in an article about tofu is essentially journalistic negligence. The famous Sichuan tofu dish is simultaneously rich, meaty, spicy, pungent, sour and savory, and it is infused with pain relieving Sichuan pepper oil for wellness. For me, these are the top 3 dishes; I cook it all the time, usually following Maggie Zhu’s recipe from the Omnivore Cookbook .
As a big fan of vegetables, I experimented with using minced vegetables – eggplant, mushrooms, and even carrots – instead of traditional minced meat. But this time I decided to follow my vision and create a variation that I call “Oops! All tofu. ” I approached this recipe in the same way I did the sambal noodles, replacing the crunchy tofu crumbs with ground pork, but this time I also soaked the diced soft tofu in a saucepan of salted water while the sauce was simmering.
It was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever done. Chunks of soft tofu literally melt in your mouth, and crunchy crumbs become straight meaty, absorbing the spicy, salty, rich sauce. This made me even more confident in all the (correct) opinions about tofu that I just presented to you, and if you will allow it, it can convert you too.