The Step You Need To Take Before Adding Tofu To Your Marinade

For those who've jumped on the vegetarian or vegan bandwagon, you know how satisfyingly good marinated tofu tastes in stir fries, as bean curd steaks, and as delicious crispy tofu snacks. Done right, it has a texture that rivals that of some of the most popular chicken or steak dishes. It also takes on the umami flavors of the marinade, making the tofu a tasty substitute for meat — a food group that many turn to for both their protein fix and satisfying savory flavor. The trick to achieving this result doesn't stem as much from the marinade, however, as it does from how you prep the tofu before you dunk it in the marinade. In short, when you're employing this marinating technique, pressing the tofu to rid it of any excess water makes all the difference to how it turns out once it's marinated. 

Removing the extra water from the bean curd is a pretty simple affair. Although tofu presses exist, you don't need one. You just need two plates, some paper towels, and something heavy to put on top of them. To get this going, you'll put the block of tofu on the bottom plate and then, balance the other plate on top of the block of tofu. A bag of rice or beans placed on top of the top plate usually provides enough weight to begin pushing the water out of the tofu. 

This process should take between 20 and 30 minutes. You'll have a pool of water in the bottom plate when it's all said and done, so it's helpful to lay some paper towels under the tofu. Another paper towel placed on top of the tofu before you lay the plate on top of it helps, too.

Although this forces you to take an extra step, it's a necessary step. Ridding the tofu of the extra water makes room for the marinade to seep into all the tiny crevices and flavor it up. The marinade you choose is up to you.

As for how to treat tofu with marinade, it's best to cut it into cubes or flat rectangles and then stash it in a covered plastic container. Allow it to soak up the marinade for two hours or so. You really don't have to marinate your food for much longer than that. Once it's thoroughly treated with the marinade, cook it according to the recipe you're following.

And one final pro tip: If you have any marinade juice leftover, pour it into the pan to add additional flavor throughout the tofu. The marinade's umami flavor should permeate every part of the pressed tofu.