Hey! Steak doesn't have to be reserved for just the carnivores out there! Granted, if you're vegetarian it might be tough to make a meal out of the vegetable sides at your local steakhouse, and if you're vegan, well maybe the House Salad, but when at home, you can still have "steak." Nicole mentioned portabello mushrooms, but I love tofu steaks.
I don't feel "deprived" of meat when eating a tofu steak, or envious of others who may be tearing into a bloody side of beef (which I also do), because I don't eat tofu as a substitute for meat. I eat it because it is tofu. Well, okay, so I also eat it because I feel less guilty about gorging myself on all the buttery, fatty, creamy vegetable sides.
When making tofu steaks, the first thing to remember is that tofu is, yes, rather bland. For me, it has to be marinated or rubbed,or doused with a fairly generous helping of sauce (which I never do to a beef steak, however). Asian marinades are the most common, it seems, but any marinade will work. Tofu is an equal opportunity flavor canvas.
Before marinating, it is important to 1) select tofu wisely, and 2) drain it. "Firm" is usually fine, but if you plan to grill your tofu steak, I'd even step it up to "extra firm" for crumble-free insurance. Slice the block of tofu into "steaks" of whatever thickness you like, though I wouldn't go thinner than 3/4". You certainly don't have to worry about under-done centers on extra-thick tofu they way you do with beef.
Place the tofu steaks in a single layer between layers of paper towel, about 5 on the bottom and five on top, then press on top with something heavy, like cans of soup. A sieve is the best option for draining, but it means you are limited to draining only one or two tofu steaks at a time. If you are making a meal for many, you can do it on a baking sheet, and slightly tilt the sheet so that the water can drain off to the side. Draining overnight is the best, but even a few hours can make a difference.
After that, marinate for a few hours in your favorite marinade, and grill or pan fry just like you would a regular ol' beef steak. Of course, tofu cooks much faster,and you don't have to let it "rest."
Some tofu steak ideas:
Sesame-seared tofu with braised baby bok choy
Bon Appetit's seared tofu with green beans and asian coconut sauce
Gourmet's broiled tofu with cilantro pesto
Grilled tofu and sauteed Asian greens
Grilled tofu with mushroom sauce from Curtis Aikens
Cakes so amazing they'd be hard to cut into
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Morbid thoughts? Have a cookie
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-30-2006 @ 9:55PM
Franz Hemingbeck said...
You've obviously been smoking far too much chronic because no reasonable human being would think of tofu as being a "steak." A steak is a hunk of dead animal muscle that oozes blood and tastes good and primal and right.
Tofu is a fey soybean derivative that's not fit for human consumption. Maybe in the commune people put down their incense sticks to wolf down one of these godawful tofu "steaks," but in the real world, serving this crap would get you fastracked for a foot in your pooper.
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5-30-2006 @ 10:08PM
Mike said...
Awesome. Aren't there moderators on this bloody blog?
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5-30-2006 @ 10:10PM
sarah said...
franz: i do not live in a commune (though some may argue that point with respect to these apartment buildings we have in LA). i enjoy all food, whether that is bloody, rare BEEF steak, or tofu. i do not substitute tofu for beef. they are both fantastic.
i find it hard to believe that tofu is not fit for human consumption, as there is a very large part of the world's population that eats it, not restricted to "communes." i grew up appreciating tofu in my asian
household, along with many other foods.
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5-30-2006 @ 10:17PM
Franz Hemingbeck said...
This is "steak day," not tofu or mushroom day. This is a day for eating nearly raw meat like some kind of rabid animal until you have your fill and you pass out in front of the cow carcass for a few hours until you wake up again and gorge some more because its steak and it's meat and it is our heritage.
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5-30-2006 @ 11:48PM
Gabriella True said...
"If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all"
Anyhoo. I was just reading an article on Tempeh in Cooking Light today. I really am thinking of trying it. I have only had tofu.
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5-31-2006 @ 10:17AM
Meganann said...
I really like tofu steaks, especially when done with a Vietnamese sauce. Yum Yum.
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5-31-2006 @ 2:51PM
MonaVox said...
Enjoy your heart attacks, meat eaters.
Why do you have to be so mean and negative about tofu? You've probably never even tried it.
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5-31-2006 @ 4:29PM
MonaVox said...
Why are people so negative and mean? You probably haven't even tried tofu.
Enjoy your heart attacks, meat eaters.
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6-01-2006 @ 4:40AM
Jasmine said...
I love tofu personally.. but
TOFU IS NOT STEAK. its kinda a wtf moment when you see tofu on a proclaimed "steak day". Go proclaim your "tofu steaks" when its tofu day or something. Same with portobello mushrooms and stuff. :P
Tofu =/= Steak
Mushroom =/= Steak
Steak = STEAK.
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6-02-2006 @ 5:50PM
melissal said...
I love tofu and I want to thank you for all of your great recipe links. My favorite marinade for grilled tofu steaks is this: Soy sauce, toasted seseme oil, minced garlic, orange juice, and a little bit of brown sugar, reg. sugar, or honey. Mix to taste and place into a large freezer bag. Drain and slice one block of extra- firm tofu and add to the bag- let marinate in the fridge for a few hours or a couple of days. The freezer bag makes it easy to flip the tofu over so it all marinates easily. Grill on an oiled grill over medium heat until browned. You can also add some blanched aparagus or baby bokchoy to the bag at the same time as the tofu and grill that up too.
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