I was in the mood for tonkatsu (Japanese breaded and deep fried pork cutlets) but a) had already planned on eating pork mid week for my dinner party and b) really don't need the whole deep fried thing. Want and need are definitely two different things though...
I had some tofu that I wanted to use and, by some lucky coincidence, came across the inspiration recipe below. Rather than follow its list of ingredients (mustard, tomato sauce, maple syrup, etc...), I opted for tonkatsu sauce as the marinade (which you can buy at any Asian supermarket under the moniker Bulldog sauce and which you will want to put on everything).
Let's be honest, this was obviously not as delicious as a deep fried piece of juicy pork would have been but came in a surprisingly close second - crispy exterior and creamy tofu center, tangy sauce.
2 packages firm tofu, drained
1/2 cup Bulldog sauce + more for garnish
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 Tbsps vegetable oil
Salt
Cut each block of tofu in half lengthwise.
Lay the 4 pieces obtained on a double layer of paper towels and top with more papertowels. Cover with a cutting board weightened down with some cans. This will remove moisture from the tofu. Leave for 30 minutes before unwrapping.
Pour 1/2 cup of the Bulldog plate onto a plate, measure the panko out onto another one.
One by one, dredge each piece of the tofu in the sauce, making sure that all sides are coated. Immediately roll the wet piece of tofu in the panko, pressing down on the crumbs to make sure that they make adhere to the tofu and make a crust. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. As soon as it starts to shimmer, gingerly add the tofu pieces and cook for 4 minutes. Flip gently with a spatula and cook for an additional 4 minutes, lowering the heat if you feel that the tofu crust is browning too quickly.
Serve topped with more Bulldog saucee and ideally with steamed rice and some stir fried Asian greens.
Inspiration recipe, here.
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