Tofu Steak (Japan)

Title:
Tofu Steak (Japan)

Yield:
4 Servings

Categories:
Tofu,
Entree




Ingredients:





     4    Tofu blocks (8 to 10 oz


          -each)


     2 lg Garlic cloves, grated


   1/2 c  Soy sauce (shoyu)





----------------------------------TOPPING----------------------------------


   1/2 c  Finely chopped zha-cai


          -(Szechuan preserved


          -vegetable)


     4 tb Black sesame seeds


   1/3 c  Vegetable oil





 By: Junko Lampert, The Tofu Cookbook (Japan)


 


 Method: Wrap each piece of tofu in a dry cloth, drain for 4-5 hours on a


 slanted cutting board. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan; then mince. Mix


 the garlic and soy sauce. Heat the oil. Slip in the tofu and cook over high


 heat for several minutes; then reduce the heat. With chopsticks, stab many


 holes in the cakes of tofu, slowly pour 2/3 of the garlic-soy sauce mixture


 over tofu, letting it sink into the holes. When the bottom of the tofu is


 nicely brown, turn, pour on the remainder of the garlic-soy sauce, and cook


 for a few more minutes. Place on a plate with the side that was browned


 first (darkest) on top. Spread the topping over the tofu cakes; centered.


 Arrange plate. Serve with watercress, steamed carrot slices (blossom-cut)


 and about 8 to 10 pea pods, also steamed, and arranged in fan, or stacked


 in two fans. CooksPantry ... Zha-Cai is a pickled Chinese vegetable


 resembling kohlrabi. You may also find it spelled "cha Tsoi" or "Choan


 choy." It is variously translatted into English as pickled or preserved


 cabbage, mustard greens, kohlrabi, or winter vetetable. Refrigerate what


 you don't use in the recipe in this book; it will stay fresh for a long


 time. You can use it to add interesting flavor to western soups and stews.


 It is coarsely chopped.


 


 You might substitute chopped shiitake (mushrooms) and nappa cabbage in a


 ginger-pepper vinaigrette. Junko Lampert, The Tofu Cookbook: Recipes for


 Traditional and Modern Cooking. Originally published 1983 by Shufunotomo


 Co. US edition by Chronicle 1986.


 


 By "patH" phannema@wizard.ucr.edu