Korean BBQ Braised Tofu

I, like most people with tastebuds, love Korean BBQ. So when I started craving braised tofu, I decided to combine my passions into one sweet and salty dish. This tofu goes perfectly with a bowl of rice and the sauce goes perfectly with almost anything which makes this dish one that keeps giving even if the tofu is all gone.

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Korean BBQ Braised Tofu

Ingredients:

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Sauce
• 3/4 cup low sodium tamari 
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons gochujang
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated 
• 5 cloves fresh garlic, pressed 
• sesame seeds for garnish
• slurry:
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch 
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

1. Remove your block of tofu from its package and rinse it before wrapping it in a clean, dry towel and gently pressing it to remove excess moisture. 
2. Unwrap the tofu and cut it into 18 pieces. **see notes below for further instruction**
3. In a large pan over medium high, heat the olive oil. Carefully place the tofu in the pan one at a time gently patting off any moisture with a clean towel before placing them in the oil. This will minimize the splatter of oil. ** Pan fry until all 4 sides are golden brown.
4. While the tofu fries, place all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. 
5. Once the tofu is golden, pour in the sauce mixture and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for at least 20 minutes.
7. At the end of 20 minutes, mix the corn starch and cold water in a small bowl to make a slurry and bring the sauce back to a boil. Add the slurry and stir.
8. Let boil for a few minutes until it thickens. 
9. Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly so the sauce can thicken further. 
10. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve immediately with rice or place in an air tight container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. 
11. There will be A LOT of extra sauce in the pan. Save the sauce in the fridge and use it as you would any Korean BBQ sauce. I highly recommend eating it with gimbap.

Notes:

1. Easiest way to cut the tofu into 18 is cutting the block in half widthwise and then cutting each half into three (widthwise again) before flipping the halves on their sides and cutting them each into three again. 
2. When frying, a few moments after placing in the oil, gently move each tofu piece so it doesn't stick to the pan. If it is already sticking, leave it alone and do not force it from the pan at this stage. Wait for it to form a crust on the bottom and move it them.