Marinated tofu steaks: Crisp and flavorful, they'll win over skeptics

It is my fervent belief that when someone tells me they “hate” tofu, they simply haven’t tried it in a way they like yet.

That can apply to tons of foods, but there seems to be a prevailing perception of tofu as soft, slimy and served in a sad stir fry with steamed veggies and a light brown sauce.

Not necessarily bad, but definitely not putting tofu’s best foot (cube?) forward, let’s be honest.

In this recipe, we get around the soft texture by choosing firm or extra firm tofu AND cooking it slowly, so the water evaporates and the tofu dries out a bit.

The resulting texture is lovely, the exterior is crispy and the marinade gives a really nice steak-like flavor (cooking things slowly in butter until lightly crispy is a very good move for many ingredients, let’s be honest).

The key here is to keep your pan at medium or even medium-low heat, so the tofu can cook slowly and get nice and crisp without burning. Take some time on this step, and the result will be really special.

Marinated Tofu Steak

Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes | Serves: 4                           

• 1 brick tofu (14 ounces or so), cut into 6 slices crosswise as shown in the images
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons steak seasoning
• ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter

1. If time allows, press the whole tofu block between two plates with a weight on top (something like a can of food) for about an hour before beginning. Discard any liquid, then slice the tofu into planks and proceed with the recipe.
2. Marinate: Whisk together the Worcestershire, syrup, soy sauce and vinegar in a shallow dish. Submerge the tofu pieces in the marinade; turning once to coat on both sides. Marinate for 20-60 minutes, flipping the tofu about halfway through the marinating time.
3. Remove the tofu steaks from the marinade to a plate. Sprinkle on both sides with the steak seasoning. RESERVE THE MARINADE.
4. Preheat a skillet (nonstick is ideal here) to medium heat with the oil and butter. Place the tofu steaks in the skillet and sear gently for about 7 minutes on each side until very golden brown on the outsides. Flip about every 4 minutes. The browning will take some time as some of the tofu liquid evaporates; resist the urge to turn up the heat - you don't want to burn the spices.
5. Steak Sauce: Meanwhile, transfer the reserved marinade to a small COLD pan and whisk in ½ teaspoon cornstarch. Turn the heat to medium and allow the sauce to come to a bubble and thicken. Transfer to a small dish to serve with the tofu steaks.
6. Serve the tofu steaks drizzled with the steak sauce and any side dishes you enjoy. Yum!

Ingredient Notes + Tips and Tricks:

• Tofu: Tofu is generally sold in 14-ounce bricks, some vary by a few ounces. Anything in the 12-16 ounce range will work for this recipe. Choose firm or extra firm.
• Make this vegan by omitting the butter and using all oil instead.
• Make this gluten free with tamari or GF soy sauce. Be sure to check all labels!
• Worcestershire sauce isn't always vegetarian due to containing fish products (similar to Caesar salad dressing). If you'd like this recipe to be vegetarian or vegan, check labels carefully and purchase a vegan Worcestershire sauce.