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Paring knife

2 cold-water baths

Baking sheet

Large pot of boiling salted water

1 ice-water bath

Salad spinner

Cast-iron pan

Wooden spoon

This dish is best with the delicious Cast-Iron Duck.

Bar-B-Fu

Nobody said that the protein to be seared has to be meat. Pound for pound, tofu is the cheapest form of complete protein around.

Just about every market around today carries a couple of hardnesses of regular or Chinese tofu: soft and firm. Soft tofu can be crumbled like a soft cheese, whereas firm tofu is what you want when you’re going to cook a chunk of the stuff. It acts like a sponge, soaking up whatever liquid it meets, especially if it’s wrung out first. And remember, surface-to-mass ratio determines marinating time, so cut first, then soak (see Have a Soak).

Application: Searing

Slice the tofu lengthwise into 4 equal parts and set on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Place a couple of paper towels on top and lay a second baking sheet on top. Put a couple of cans of food on top of that to weight it down. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the garlic, chiles, barbecue sauce, and vinegar. Season the tofu “steaks” with salt and pepper, place the tofu in a zip-top bag, and pour in the barbecue sauce mixture. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Drain the marinade off the tofu and reserve. Heat a non-stick pan for about 3 minutes over medium flame. Shake off any excess marinade and add the tofu to the pan. No oil is needed. Don’t move the “steaks” or they will not brown. Using tongs, flip after 2 minutes and allow to brown on the other side. Remove the tofu and place on the rolls. Pour the reserved marinade into the hot pan and add the beer. Allow to reduce to sauce consistency. Pour over the “steaks” and enjoy with some spicy and vinegary slaw. Wash down with the rest of your beer. Isn’t health food great?

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Software:

1 pound firm tofu

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced serrano chiles

⅓ cup of your favorite

barbecue sauce

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground

black pepper

4 white hoagie rolls (make sure

the bread is sort of firm and

definitely flavorful; the bread

can make or break this dish)

¾ cup of your favorite beer,

preferably dark (I use Shiner

Bock)

Hardware:

2 baking sheets

Paper towels

Cans of food for weighting

Gallon-size zip-top bag

Non-stick pan

Tongs

Blackened Tuna Steak

I have always suspected that the whole “blackening” phenomenon that crept out of the bayou a decade ago was a clever way to serve burned fish. That said, this powder does turn pretty dark. And yes, it tastes mighty good, too, especially when applied to a fish that can be seared and left darned near raw on the inside—meaning tuna and salmon, but mostly tuna.

This recipe comes from Patrick Matecat, a very American albeit French chef who tolerated my presence in his kitchen for more than a year.

Application: Searing

Combine all the spices and salt in a jar or other lidded container and shake well to combine.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until it’s hot enough to make a drop of water jump, not just sizzle. Lightly lubricate each piece of tuna with canola oil. Dredge the fish in the spice powder and shake off all possible excess.

Spritz the pan with oil right before adding the fish. This will assure even heating as the crust forms. A 1-inch steak cooked for 2 minutes on each side will be perfectly colored on the outside and just warm on the inside. If you like your tuna cooked a little more, you can remove the pan from the heat, cover loosely with foil and give it another minute on each side. Don’t worry, the pan will stay plenty hot. Thicker steaks should also be seared on the sides by setting edgewise in the pan.

Serve the steak whole or slice thin and fan around a mound of coleslaw.

Note: If you don’t like the look of what your market has in the case and if you’re planning on serving at least 4 people, ask the fishmonger if he has any