Memphis-Style Barbecue Tofu
Excellent served with biscuits (or cornbread), greens (collards are my favorite), and vegetarian baked beans (or lima beans and corn cooked in butter with a little salt and pepper). In addition to being tasty right out of the oven, this makes an excellent lunch the next day (hot or cold), though you might have to hide some in advance if you want any left over! Keeps nicely in the fridge for up to a week (at least I think it will - it's never lasted that long in our house, even with only two people).
Excellent served with biscuits (or cornbread), greens (collards are my favorite), and vegetarian baked beans (or lima beans and corn cooked in butter with a little salt and pepper). In addition to being tasty right out of the oven, this makes an excellent lunch the next day (hot or cold), though you might have to hide some in advance if you want any left over! Keeps nicely in the fridge for up to a week (at least I think it will - it's never lasted that long in our house, even with only two people).
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup onion finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 2 15-oz packages extra-firm tofu pressed
- 1 tablespoon butter (or vegan margarine if making vegan)
- 1 12-oz bottle catsup (choose a good-tasting brand, such as henry's grandma's catsup
- 1/4 cup chili sauce (not the thai kind; heinz makes a decent brand)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar firmly packed
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon vegetarian worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder (or granulated garlic)
- 1 dash cayenne powder (or to taste)
- Carbohydrate 72.6646773388206 g
- Cholesterol 5.08385416884683 mg
- Fat 10.9716331160674 g
- Fiber 7.13331726933984 g
- Protein 19.3395765911917 g
- Saturated Fat 2.17929744514028 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (585g)
- Sodium 770.452736283045 mg
- Sugar 65.5313600694808 g
- Trans Fat 0.894226447845043 g
- Calories 432 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut one of the blocks of tofu into bite-sized cubes (about the size of dice), and crumble the other block of tofu into small chunks (bite-sized and smaller). Place the tofu in a lightly oiled baking dish (large enough so that you only have one layer). Cook until tofu is lightly browned and slightly chewy, tossing every 15 minutes or so (it should take about an hour or two to cook the tofu properly).
- While the tofu is cooking, prepare the sauce: In a saucepan, slowly saute the chopped onion in butter until soft and just beginning to turn yellow. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer about 15 minutes. Taste, and adjust seasonings.
- Combine sauce and tofu in a baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes (note that this is about how long it takes to bake biscuits to go with the barbecue tofu).
Liquid smoke does the heavy lifting in this recipe, anchoring a tangy tomato base with genuine pit-smoke character that usually requires hours over hardwood. Treating commercial smoke extract with respect means measuring carefully because a mere drop too much transforms a nuanced glaze into something acrid. Balance the strength of the smoke with genuine molasses and brown sugar to build the characteristic sticky viscosity expected from a Memphis barbecue application.
Extra-firm blocks of soy protein demand thorough pressing before any heat touches them, or excess water will steam the cubes instead of promoting proper dehydration. Cutting one block into uniform dice while hand-crumbling the second block creates varied surface areas that catch the sauce unevenly, producing superior textural contrast once baked. Spreading those pieces across a wide baking dish ensures single-layer contact with the dry heat, preventing steam pockets from trapping moisture inside the center of the protein.
Baking requires an extended drying phase lasting up to two hours at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, requiring regular agitation every fifteen minutes to achieve a lightly chewy exterior. Skipping this lengthy dehydration step results in soggy, waterlogged bites that reject the thick sauce entirely rather than absorbing its complex flavors during the final fifteen-minute bake. Watch for the edges to turn a deep golden brown before pouring the simmered onion and catsup mixture over the top.
Storing leftover portions in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to seven days actually improves the overall flavor integration as the sauce penetrates deeper into the porous soy matrix. Reheating these cold leftovers requires moderate oven heat or a skillet rather than a microwave to restore the original chewiness without turning the exterior rubbery. Serve alongside warm biscuits and collard greens to balance the heavy sweetness of the molasses-driven sauce.
