Print

Five-Spice Tofu Chops with Chile Crisp Barbecue Sauce

Prevent your screen from going dark

Makes 2 Servings 1x

Time About an hour, largely unattended

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 block firm tofu (12 to 16 ounces)
  • Salt
  • 1 teaspoon five-spice blend
  • 2 tablespoons good-quality vegetable oil, like grapeseed or sunflower
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
  • Chile crisp to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a medium skillet or rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the tofu block on its side and cut it in half top to bottom at an angle; you can go corner to corner for even wedges or slightly off-center for more of a trapezoid shape. Pat dry with towels but don’t risk breaking the chops by squeezing too hard.
  2. Transfer the tofu chops to the prepared pan and sprinkle generously with salt then rub all over with the five-spice. Drizzle with the oil and brush or smear that everywhere, too. Roast, carefully turning a couple times, until the tofu forms a crust and browns in places, about 1 hour. The longer you go the drier it will get. The exact time also depends a lot on how dry your tofu was before roasting.
  3. While the tofu roasts, put the barbecue sauce in a small bowl and stir in as much chile crisp and its oil as you like. (You’ve got time to get some sides together, too. I like sharp greens like the baby mustard leaves shown in the photo.) Serve the tofu hot from the oven, at room temperature, or chilled, with the sauce on the side for dipping.

 

— Recipe developed by Kerri Conan

Recipe variations

Note:

You can even use this angled butchering approach for changing up vegetable steaks cut from cauliflower, eggplant, cabbage, or celery root. Then vary the seasoning rub and sauce to keep things interesting and always serve with a different side and you’ll be making this recipe frequently.