Hoky Smoky Tofu

This is another take on tofu. So sue me.

Have you tried the other one yet? I swear, you'll love it...so stop making that face. Tofu is fabulously yummy when it's cooked right and, yes, it's freaking terrible when it's done wrong. Let's not do it wrong.

This version has less of an Asian twang and more of a down-home-mississippi-livin'-hoedown-attendin'-pan-o'-tasties thing goin' on. And despite my telling you in the past that pressing your brick of tofu should be a 5 second squeeze over the sink, this recipe will need a good press. A real. Solid. Press. Any excess water in the tofu will make your BBQ a sad one.

First things first, take your drained brick of tofu (the water-packed kind again) and wrap it in 3 or 4 layers of paper towels like a cute little present. Put it on a plate, cover that plate with another plate, then add some weight. See?
What a use for cans! You don't have to stack them if you don't want to, but I spent a good 5 minutes laughing at myself trying to get these to balance on top of each other. Hilarity ensued.

Let this hysterically hoky tofu press work its magic for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, whip together your simple smoky marinade. In a shallow dish (I used a round cake pan), combine:
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (any kind will do, I used Famous Dave's)
1/4 cup vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup clear vinegar
1/4 cup water

Whisk everything together. Done.

Unwrap your tofu and slice that baby up, like so:
It should feel substantially dryer now that it's had some time under the cans. It's just waiting to absorb lots of tasty flavor. Let's move right on to that.
It was at this point that I realized how much space I had in my pan for more tofu, so I went back and drained another brick. No matter how ya play it, more or less, the tofu should sit in the mixture for a long time. The longer the better. I cover mine with plastic wrap and toss it in the fridge to get baked the next day!

Tomorrow's gonna be a good day.

When you're ready to bake, set your oven to 400 and drain off ALL the marinade into the sink. Then, lay the pieces on a sheet tray lined with greased foil, and give them a good sprinkle of:
salt
black pepper
paprika
cayenne (more for extra ka-POW)

Toss it in the oven and bake until the edges are browned and the insides are firm. For me, it was nearly an hour before I pulled out this, this beautiful tray of smoky squares:
I told you today would be a good one.