Nom Noms Nº2: Korean Barbecue Tofu with Coconut Rice and Blistered Green Beans

Incredibly tasty, potentially award-winning, prospectively pleasurable recipes & pairings from the Yield Kitchen.

Nom Noms Nº2: Korean BBQ Tofu

We’ve recently been exploring vegetarian recipes to pair with those robust reds we so often think of as being exclusively meat-friendly. This week we tackle one of the biggest and boldest of them all-- Zinfandel.

While the origin of Zinfandel had long been mysterious, recent research from UC Davis has confirmed its ancestral home to be Croatia. Often thought of as being robust with jammy and occasionally peppery notes, Zinfandel is frequently paired with beef and sometimes barbecue. Here, we play with the idea of barbecue with a tangy Korean-inspired glaze draping crispy tofu over rich coconut rice, accompanied by blistered green beans. The coconut component will help give the dish some needed fat to stand up to the richness of Zinfandel, while the tangy notes of the barbecue sauce will complement the jamminess of the wine. Feel free to throw some kimchi on your plate, if it moves you; just make sure it isn’t too spicy-- a lot of spice will accentuate the high alcohol of Zinfandel and mask the pleasant fruit notes.

If you feel so inclined to purchase a premade Korean Barbecue sauce, rather than making the one below from scratch, go for it. Just make sure to dilute it with a small amount of water before adding to your tofu, so your pan doesn’t become a hot sticky mess.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 lb French Style Green Beans

• 1 Cup Dry White Jasmine Rice

• 1 ¾ Cup Coconut Milk

• 1 14 oz Container Extra Firm Tofu

• ¼ Cup Shredded Coconut

• 1 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seeds

• 2 Tablespoons Neutral Oil, Like Avocado

• 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

Sauce

• 1 Teaspoon Korean Gochujang

• 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

• 2 Tablespoons Honey

• 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

• 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil

• 1 Teaspoon Tomato Paste

• 2 Tablespoons Water

• 1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds

Makes 2 large portions

Mise en Place

If you have fresh cherries, good for you-- go ahead and pit them. If your cherries are frozen, set them out to start defrosting. 

• Place one layer of paper towels beneath your tofu, and 1 above. Place a heavy plate or bowl atop the top layer, and allow the paper towels to soak the excess liquid for about 30 minutes.

• Rinse green beans.

• Return to your tofu, and cut into roughly half inch cubes.

1. Make your sauce by whisking together all sauce ingredients.

2. Make the rice as directed on the package, but rather than using water, substitute the coconut milk. Just before you place the lid on the pot, after you’ve reduced the heat to a simmer, add the shredded coconut.

3. In a wok or large non-stick skillet, heat the neutral oil on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the cubed tofu. Turn the tofu as it cooks, so all sides become brown and crispy. Turn the heat off.

4. While tofu cooks, heat a dry large pan with no oil on high heat. When a drop of water sizzles when it hits the pan, it’s time to add the green beans. Salt them, and allow to blister in the dry pan. 

5. Return to your browned tofu cubes, and add your sauce directly into the hot pan. Move around the tofu until each cube is covered.

6. Remove green beans from heat while they are still al dente. Drizzle coconut oil atop the beans still in the pan

7. Plate her up. Start with a nice scoopful of rice, top with tofu and green beans, and pour yourself a nice big glass of Zin!

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