As a woman who eats a vegetarian diet, I have become fascinated with tofu. Not because of all the hype and bs, but because it's a challenging ingredient, and more often than not, it's viewed as a simple substitute. I don't do substitutes. I only eat food.
Unfortunately, so many people I know are either vegetarians/vegans who are hyped up about how amazing tofu is, when they hardly know how to cook it properly, or they're NORMAL people, with a diet consisting of chicken, pork, burgers, etc. etc., and have never had tofu before, but automatically hate it. On one hand, you have the Jr. high school syndrome struck vegetarians, (need I explain?) and on the other, you have the toddler syndrome struck.
I like tofu. It isn't the super best protein source on the planet, but it is excellent when prepared properly. So, how DO you prepare tofu properly? Depending on the method of cooking, i.e braising, frying, sauteing, you should keep in mind a few tips that will make tofu enjoyable to eat, and much more diverse than just cutting it into squares, and adding it to stir fry.
Deep Frying: Freeze it first. When something is frozen, it expands. This will make manipulating tofu much easier, as shown in the photo above. It will have a light, airy texture. Expelling water will be much easier. Please, continue reading.
Do not defrost in the microwave. I tested this out, simply for the sake of seeing for myself if I would be right about the consistency change. It was drastic. Because you are taking your expanded tofu, and nuking the shit out of it, you're not only releasing the water from the tofu quickly, you're cooking it, which results in a very dense, rubbery ball of horror. That is, if you can even form a ball with that giant rubber brick!
I don't believe in defrosting anything in the microwave. I actually don't like microwaves. I would never have one in a professional kitchen, and any time I see a microwave in a professional kitchen, I cringe a
little lot.
Defrost your tofu in the fridge. Yes, this takes some time, but it's not only going to give you a consistently defrosted product, (instead of it heating up too quickly on one side, remaining frozen on the other), it is much safer. Just because it is plant based, doesn't mean contamination doesn't exist. Treat tofu the way you would treat any cut of meat. Better yet, treat it like chicken. Growing up, most of us witnessed our moms tossing in a brick of meat ice into the sink. This isn't recommended, even with tofu.
Keep weight on top of your tofu to expel water. It's a delicate product. In the past, I have impatiently strangled the hell out of an innocent brick of tofu. I ended up with confetti. You don't want confetti right now. Trust me!
Braising: Just as we did previously, you want to freeze, then properly defrost. The key to this method of cooking, is to carefully slice your tofu when most of the liquid is drained out, then at your lowest heat setting possible, dry cook it. I suggest a non stick pan. This will take some patience and time, just as all good things do.
Cooking to me, isn't all about quick, easy, super dooper sounding ingredient profiling mixed together. Techniques take time, but if you are the type of person who grows bored in a kitchen by yourself, I pity you... kidding! Cook with a loved one, family, best friends, etc. Cooking together has created so many memories with memorable food to enjoy. I am not trying to sound cliche. I'm keeping it real. I've had amazing experiences cooking with very inspiring chefs, but it isn't the same as prepping a family meal together. It gives you time to bond, teach, learn and clear your mind.
We want to dry cook our tofu, so when we braise (cook in a broth, fat etc), we can re-hydrate it fully with tons of flavor. How many times have you gone to a restaurant, and ordered braised tofu? Do you remember how only the exterior received all of that love and goodness? Respectfully, I find it a little repetitive. This inspired me to test a few methods on my own. The one I am sharing with you, has by far, been the most successful. Your tofu wont fall apart during a slow braise, and your absorbing all of that flavor like a sponge.
By the way, when dry cooking at a low heat, you're looking for the exterior to be a consistent, light blonde in color. This way your not crisping it up too much, which can alter the finished product's consistency. It would be like eating a piece of fried chicken, that was soaked in buttermilk too long. The skin turns a bit rubbery. If you abstain from over cooking the exterior, your tofu will have a very tender, moist, and buttery texture.
I have no fancy conclusion to this blog entry. I'm not trying to convince you that tofu is the best ingredient on earth. However, it's underestimated in my opinion, quite too often.
Amber
