Hickory Smoked Tofu
 
 
This is an Asian marinated hickory smoked tofu that you make using your smoker! It comes out nice and firm, with a gentle smokiness and great Asian flavors. I like to serve this with Sautéed Baby Spinach.
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Recipe type: Vegetarian BBQ
Ingredients
  • 1 pound of tofu (firm or extra firm). You can triple this, which is a good idea because it is so delicious. (The tofu will keep in your refrigerator for a week once smoked.)
  • 3 T soy sauce
  • 3 T Mirin (Rice Wine Vinegar) (They will have this in the international aisle at your grocery store, and lots more options at your Asian grocer. I use the Japanese brand Mitsukan because that is what we have available here in Arkansas. A 12 oz bottle was about $2.50).
  • If you want to go non-vegetarian, you will need 1 ½ tablespoons of fish sauce. I use Three Crabs Brand, and this will likely be available only at your Asian grocer. It makes this dish super umami bomby fantastic… so if you are not a vegetarian, I do recommend it. (It contains anchovies, but like Worcestershire Sauce, by the time you buy it, it is just a liquid. Note, it’s super stinky in the bottle, but not in the dish, and you only use a little at a time).
  • Canola Oil or Canola Oil Spray
Instructions
  1. Cut the tofu into four slices, about ½ inch thick each. Set them aside on a paper towel covered plate to drain.
  2. Now it’s time to make the marinade. I like to start with a glass or ceramic dish with two to four inch sides so that it is easy to lift and easy to turn the food without splashing back onto yourself. The easiest way to do this is to make the marinade in the empty pan—no extra bowls or cups needed. So, in your marinating pan, whisk together three tablespoons of soy sauce and three tablespoons of Mirin. If you want to go non-vegetarian, add in 1 ½ tablespoons of Three Crabs fish sauce.
  3. Once your marinade is adequately mixed, it’s time to add the tofu slices. As you lay each in the marinade pan, turn them so that each side gets coated with the marinade.
  4. Set the marinade pan in the refrigerator to marinade for 1 to 2 hours, covering it if you like. A longer marinade time is better, because tofu has little flavor on its own and it takes a good bit of time to soak up the marinade. (You can tell it is soaking it up when the color changes to caramel.)
  5. Every 30 minutes or so come back and flip the tofu slices, or spoon marinade over their tops, so that all sides will taste good!
  6. It’s time to smoke them. Light your smoker as you normally do, and add two or three hickory wood chunks. If you use a gas grill, turn the burner on at one end and place a smoker box or a double layered foil pouch with hickory chips inside (you can find hickory chips at your home improvement store, in the grill aisle. You’ll pay about $8.00 for a good sized bag).
  7. You’ll also want to soak the chips in water for about 30 minutes beforehand, so that it slows down how fast they burn. (You don’t need to do that for the chunks.)
  8. If you are using a foil pouch, poke holes in the top of the pouch to let the smoke out.
  9. Take your tofu out of the marinade, and pat the sides dry with a paper towel, then brush them with canola oil (so they won’t stick on the grill). It’s fine to use a canola spray for this.
  10. Make sure to reserve the remaining marinade for the very end.
  11. Lay the tofu on your smoker or grill grate with about an inch between each slice, and try to keep the internal temperate around 225 degrees. If you are using a grill, keep the burners off underneath the tofu. Only light the burner under the hickory chips. If you have temperature troubles, the tofu will smoke faster if it is running at a higher temperature, and will smoke slower if it is at a lower temperature. Since the tofu doesn’t actually require “cooking,” keep it on your smoker or grill until it has a nice outer color and a firm texture.
  12. If your temperatures are on point, let the tofu smoke for 1 hour, and then flip it over. Don’t add any marinade to it while you’re smoking it; just let it smoke. You are trying to dry it out a bit to make it easy to slice.
  13. After the tofu has smoked for 2 hours, take it off your smoker or grill and bring it inside. Drizzle the tofu with the reserved marinade, and serve with sautéed baby spinach. (Or do as the Weber recipe does and serve it with an Asian slaw.)
Recipe by WooPigFoodie at https://www.woopigfoodie.com/hickory-smoked-tofu-sauteed-baby-spinach/