Vegetarian Ginger Crusted Korean "Short Ribs"

Vegetarian Marinade + Asian Fusion Style Dish

Tofu can be a delicious medium for flavor, especially if your are one of the non meat eating variety! However, we can attest that many a meat eater has cleaned their plate with this dish.

You will need

-Sprouted Extra Firm Tofu Drained (we use wildwood sprouted tofu)

-3-4 tbsp Applewood Smoked Olive Oil

-1.5 tbsp Apricot Balsamic Vinegar

-1-2 tsp. Espresso Dry Rub

-4 tbsp. Almonds finely chopped 

-1 tbsp. Fresh Ginger finely chopped

-1/2 tsp. Cilantro chopped-dried or fresh 

-1/4 tsp. Chili Lime Sea Salt

-White rice for side dish

To Prepare

We will use a two part cooking method for this recipe to achieve a firm texture, we will fry in oil first and finish on the grill. 

Slice tofu into 1/2 "steaks", rub with Espresso Dry Rub and coat with Smoked Oil (reserve 1 tbsp oil for after cooking) let sit covered up to one hour or over night. Light BBQ grill to medium heat simultaneously,  in a heavy bottom skillet or cast iron pan heat 1 tbsp Smoked Oil over medium-high heat for about 1-2 minutes, once the oil is hot add tofu and reduce heat to medium, maintaining a low sizzle for about 6 minutes on each side, flipping occasionally. Once tofu has a golden brown color and less moist texture remove from heat. Take tofu steaks to grill and let grill overt medium heat for about 4-6 minutes until grill lines form. The texture of the tofu should be firm and leathery when removed from heat. Cut Tofu in rectangular "rib" sized piece (we cut our steaks in half longways to achieve this but it will vary depending on the tofu you use. In a flat dish Mix 1 tbsp Smoked Oil and 1.5 tbsp Apricot Balsamic. On another plate place mixture of chopped almonds, dried cilantro, sea salt, and 1/4 tsp Espresso Dry Rub, and dried /fresh cilantro. Roll tofu "ribs" in oil and vinegar mixture coating all sides, then dredge in almond mixture coating all sides. Serve with white rice, and optional veggies! Yum

Recipes & Photos By: Amanda Ashley