Chef notes
These skewers bring a taste of summer grilling to football season. The chipotle-pineapple barbecue sauce infuses firm tofu with smoky-sweet flavors and becomes delightfully charred over high heat. Make a batch of these sweet-meets-savory skewers for your Super Bowl party and rest assured that vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike will enjoy this dish.
There are a couple of extra steps you can take that will take packaged tofu from good to great. First, consider freezing the tofu. Freezing causes the water in the tofu to expand, forming ice crystals. When thawed, these ice crystals leave tiny holes behind. These holes create a chewier, meatier texture and make the tofu more absorbent to marinades and sauces. Simply freeze the tofu in its packaging and thaw on a plate in the refrigerator overnight.
Second, press the tofu to remove excess water, resulting in a firmer texture that will hold up better when cooked. You can use a tofu press or simply wrap the tofu block in a clean towel and place a heavy object, such as a skillet, on top. Press the tofu for 20 to 30 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
Once the tofu is pressed, it’s primed for marinating. This recipe demonstrates how tofu, which is relatively bland on its own, benefits from preparations typically reserved for other proteins. Marinating, high-heat cooking and basting during and after cooking all contribute layers of flavor that make these stand out.
These skewers make for easy leftovers and are great reheated over steamed rice. To reheat, remove the skewers and add the tofu, pineapple and red onion to a medium sauté pan with a splash of water. Cover and set the heat to medium-low, cook until the tofu is softened and warmed through its center, 5 to 6 minutes.
Special Equipment Required: For this recipe, you’ll need a 12-inch cast iron grill pan and 10-inch wooden skewers.
Technique Tip: Since there’s no cross-contamination with raw tofu, you can use the remaining marinade as a sauce for basting and serving. If you choose to make this recipe and swap out the tofu for another protein like chicken or salmon, reserve about a half cup of the marinade before adding your protein to avoid cross-contamination.
Swap Option: You can substitute fresh pineapple for canned pineapple and orange juice instead of the juice from canned pineapple.
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) firm tofu block, drained and pressed
- 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado, plus more for greasing
- 1½ teaspoons chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, for garnish
- lime wedges, for serving
Preparation
1.Pat the tofu dry on all sides with a paper towel. Cut the tofu into 1-inch wide slabs, then cut each slab in half lengthwise. You should be left with eight 1-inch wide by 4-inch long strips. Cut each strip into quarters to create 32 cubes of tofu.
2.Reserve 1/4 cup of pineapple juice. Drain the chunks.
3.In a separate wide, shallow dish, combine the reserved pineapple juice, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, oil, chipotle powder, garlic powder and salt. Add the tofu to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for 30 to 60 minutes.
4.Meanwhile, soak the skewers in warm water for 30 minutes. Remove just before assembling.
5.Assemble the skewers: Remove the tofu from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Thread the tofu, pineapple and red onion onto the skewers, alternating ingredients. Each skewer should have 4 pieces of tofu, 3 pieces of pineapple and 3 pieces of onion. Lightly sprinkle each skewer with salt evenly to coat.
6.In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cool water. Add the reserved marinade to a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Once simmering, whisk in the cornstarch slurry and bring to a simmer, stirring often, until the marinade thickens, about 2 minutes.
7.Heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Brush the pan with oil and increase the heat to medium-high.
8.Brush each skewer on all sides with the thickened marinade. Grill the skewers for 6 minutes total, turning once every 90 seconds. Repeat with the remaining skewers.
9.Brush the grilled skewers with the remaining marinade, if desired. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges. Serve immediately.
