Thai Sautéed Tofu

Tofu can be challenging to cook.  One of the more amusing moments of my adult life was watching a group of native Texans try to describe tofu in a game of charades.  There was a lot of simulated vomiting, let’s just say.  But, if you make it the right way, IT IS LIFE CHANGING.  And, this recipe is one of the all time best I’ve ever had.  It takes some time to prepare, but get ready to change someone’s mind about tofu...

Ingredients:

• 3/4lb. Firm or extra-firm tofu, drained
• 2 TB fresh lime juice
• 1 TB soy sauce
• 1 TB chili garlic sauce (Lee Kum Kee)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 TB peanut oil

Directions:

• Cut tofu into 3/4 inch thick slices.  Arrange several layers of paper towels on a plate.  Put tofu on top of paper towels in a single layer.  Put several more layers of paper towels on top of the tofu.  Put something heavy, like a cast iron skillet or a heavy book, on top of the top layer of towels.  Let stand at least 30 min, to drain the water out of the tofu.
• Remove tofu from towels, cut into 3/4” cubes.  Add all other ingredients but peanut oil into a ziplock bag.  Add tofu, seal, and marinate at room temperature for at least 2 hours, turning occasionally to coat all sides.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add peanut oil to pan.  Remove tofu from bag, discard all marinade.  Add tofu to pan, and use a set of tongs to gently turn each cube until all sides get crisp and brown.  Remove from heat and serve.

I often serve this with noodles - you can do rice vermicelli with cilantro and fish sauce or green onions and carrots.  Or, you can eat this by itself - it’s that good!  I don’t have calories on this because it’s part of a larger recipe for a noodle salad that I think is unnecessarily complicated and not all that good.