Japanese Tofu Steak

This tofu steak is seasoned with a sweet and savoury sauce with mirin, soy sauce and vegetarian oyster sauce. You get that ‘meaty’ bite from the pan-fried tofu that’s coated in the sauce that thickens as the sugars cook down and beautifully coats each piece.

THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS TOFU STEAK

This Japanese-Style Tofu Steak is inspired by teppanyaki that I love whenever I eat at Japanese restaurants. This tofu is also cooked with shiitake mushrooms for added texture and umami along with aromatics. This is best paired with a bowl of steamed rice or chahan (Japanese fried rice).

WHAT IS TEPPANYAKI?

Teppanyaki is a Japanese cooking method that involves cooking food over a ‘teppan’ or a large metal plate, iron griddle or plate, while ‘yaki’ is the process of cooking or grilling. When visiting Japanese teppanyaki restaurants, there is usually a large flat metal surfaces or ‘teppanyaki’ where the chef cooked the food in front of you

Teppanyaki dishes can range from been, pork, shrimp, scallops, chicken, and mixed vegetables like bean sprouts, carrots, cabbage, and mushrooms. Other dishes commonly cooked on a teppanyaki is fried rice, okonomiyaki, and yakisoba.

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE THIS TOFU STEAK

WHAT KIND OF TOFU SHOULD I USE?

I recommend to use extra firm to firm outs for this recipe. This type of tofu is the easiest to handle and also dense enough to have that nice bite.

Tofu

• 17.5 oz extra firm tofu
• Neutral oil

For the Sauce

• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• Freshly ground pepper

For the Mushrooms and Tofu Steak

• 1 tbsp vegan butter or oil
• 1/2 white onion sliced
• 1 green onion thinly sliced (I separated the white parts and green parts—I used the green parts for garnish)
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 3-4 fresh shiitake mushrooms or other mushrooms of choice, thinly sliced
• Handful fresh garlic chives chopped

The full recipe is in the recipe card below.

HOW TO MAKE THIS JAPANESE TOFU STEAK

Prepare the sauce by mixing it together in a bowl. Taste the sauce and feel free to adjust it according to your desired taste. Set the sauce aside.

COOK THE MUSHROOMS

• Heat a large cast iron pan or iron skillet over medium, once hot, add in the vegan butter or oil. Saute the onion until translucent then add in the white parts of the green onion and garlic, and cook until lightly browned. Add in the mushrooms and leave to cook to slightly char before mixing in the fresh chives. Set this aside.

PAN-FRY THE TOFU

• In the same pan, add more oil as needed. Pan-fry the tofu until golden brown on all sides. Add back in the mushrooms into the pan (I like to place mine around the tofu but you can also just put them over the tofu.

POUR THE SAUCE

• Over medium heat, pour the sauce over the tofu and mushrooms. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes for the tofu and mushrooms to absorb some of the sauce. Garnish with the rest of the green onions.
• Serve while sizzling and hot.

This is best enjoyed with some rice.

OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LOVE:

• "Beef" Bulgogi Bowls
• Spicy “Pork” Stir-Fry
• Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu
• Black Pepper Tofu Steaks
• Tofu "Chicken" Teriyaki
• Japanese Chahan or Fried Rice

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