Let’s continue with the rest of that beer soaked meal. It all started with Foodbuzz + New Belgium’s offer, to create a recipe infused with NB’s beer or one that would pair well with it.

Sipping beer is fun, but I find it more challenging to use beer as an ingredient. What first sparked this meal idea, was Teri’s Beer BBQ Tofu. I always trust Teri’s recipes, and knew this would be a winner.

But before we talk about the recipe, let’s talk tofu. I’ve only ever cooked with “extra firm” tofu, and I only buy this organic, sprouted brand. Other tofu I’ve eaten doesn’t seem to agree with my stomach, but I’ve never had any issues with Wild Wood’s sprouted tofu. Sprouted foods are typically easier to digest, which is why I’m guessing my stomach tolerates this tofu much more easily.

I always cut one block into 8 slices. I start with a cut in the center and then another cut in the center of those 2 halves, and then another cut in the center of those 4 halves. This method makes slices fairly consistent in thickness.

For this meal, I sliced 2 large blocks, and placed them on a kitchen towel folded in half.

I then covered the tofu with another folded in half kitchen towel and wrapped a third towel around the bottom and top. Then I place cutting boards on top, so the liquid doesn’t seep into the books, which are what help to press the liquid out.

You want to press your tofu for a good 30min, or longer if you have the time. This makes all the difference with the texture when cooking.

Now back to Teri’s recipe.

I’m not sure you can go wrong with your beer selection. It would be fun to try with a super thick + flavorful stout beer, but for this I chose New Belgium’s, Fat Tire.

I also used this OrganicVille BBQ Sauce, which had a sweet, but smoky flavor. Everyone loved it!

Mixing all of the ingredients, takes only a few minutes. Then you add the tofu to a large pan and start the marinating. I didn’t change much from Teri’s recipe, but here were the measurements I used.

1 bottle beer
1t finely minced ginger
2/3c BBQ sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 blocks, extra firm tofu

*I basically added more beer + garlic and omitted the Worcestershire sauce, because it’s not vegetarian. I was going to add a few drops of liquid smoke, but this BBQ sauce was already pretty smoky. If you have a sweeter sauce, Liquid Smoke is a great option, if you want a nice smoked flavor.

If you want to bake your tofu, definitely check out her fabulous blog for the instructions!!

While the tofu marinated [for 1.5hrs], I worked on the salad.

romaine + spinach + grated carrot + pepitas

simple.

Then I created my best dressing to date, thanks to my new potted herbs! The photo may not look pretty, but trust me on the taste!

Honey Lemon Herb Dressing [serves ~6 side salads]

1/4c fresh lemon juice [~1 lemon]
2-3T apple cider vinegar [or another 1/2 lemon]
1 large garlic clove, finely minced
2t honey
1-1 1/2t dijon mustard
1/3c extra virgin olive oil
1/2T fresh thyme, coarsely chopped
3T fresh basil, thinly sliced + chopped
1/4-1/2t salt
black pepper

Whisk together lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, mustard, and olive oil until thoroughly combined.
Whisk in garlic, salt + pepper.
Whisk in fresh herbs, taste + add more salt/pepper to taste.

*Start with 1t mustard and 1/4t salt. You can always add more after the initial taste. If it seems to oily, add more apple cider vinegar. If it doesn’t have a hint of sweetness, add another teaspoon of honey. Just keep tasting along the way! If you want a really accurate taste, dip a piece of lettuce in the dressing!

Now, you have your beer fries + dressing, what about that grilled tofu?

The trick is greasing the grates + making sure the heat is high enough! I tried grilling tofu once before, with half success.

As in, half stuck to the grates.

This time I had no problems with sticking! Check it out!

Grilling Tofu

Make sure your tofu is thoroughly pressed.
Heat your grill to med-high, ~400*.
Grease your grill with oil, but be careful! Do not use an aerosol grease can, as it will cause large flames. I used my Misto can, filled with olive oil, and it worked perfectly. You could also heavily brush the grates with oil. Make sure the grates are well coated!
Place your sliced tofu [~1/4-1/2” thick slices] on the grill and close the lid.
Now, try your best NOT to touch the tofu for 6-9min. Knowing when to flip the tofu, really depends on your grill. You can check on the tofu at 6min, with a large metal spatula. If it seems like it’s easily lifting, and it’s nice and charred, you’re good to flip. If it’s sticking, you either didn’t put enough oil on, or you need to let it cook longer. You’re looking for grill marks, like in the photos. When the pieces are nice + charred, they will be easier to flip.
Carefully scrape under the tofu, and flip over to cook for another 6-9min. Before closing the lid, pour/brush the leftover marinade onto each slice. *If they seem to be sticking a bit, before you flip over onto the grate, spray or brush with more oil.
The longer you cook, the less moisture it will have. Everyone really liked the charred pieces!

It really was easy! I just want to be thorough with the instructions. :)

If your fries are done before the tofu, just turn the oven off and leave them inside. If they’re already super crispy, crack the door open, to prevent further cooking.