Tofu Steak by Chef Robert

Chef Robert Baradaran
July 11, 2011
Monthly General Meeting
Victoria Club–Riverside, CA

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 blocks silken tofu (not pressed–delicate and moist)
• 1 clove garlic
• salt and pepper
• flour (for coating)
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil

[for the mushroom sauce]

• 4 shiitake mushrooms
• 1 pack enoki mushrooms
• 1 pack shemeji mushrooms
• 200g thinkly sliced beef
• 1 1/2 cups dashi stock
• 4 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp mirin sweet cooking sake
• 1 Tbsp sake
• 1 Tbsp potato starch
• 1 Tbsp water
• spring onion for garnish

1. Wrap the tofu with kitchen papers and place it on a wire rack. Let it stand for about 30 minutes to drain.
2. Cut off the stem of the shiitake mushrooms and cut them in to 1cm slices. Cut the enoki mushrooms into 2-3cm pieces and cut the shimeji mushrooms in the same way.
3. Cut the beef into 2cm pieces.
4. Cut the tofu into quarters and wipe them with a kitchen paper. Season well with salt and pepper and cover with flour.
5. Prepare the garlic oil. Peel and crush the garlic. Put the crushed garlic and oil in a frying pan and heat it for about 5 minutes on low heat until brown. Take the oil out of the pan.
6. Add 2 Tbsp garlic oil into the pan and sauté the tofu until it is browned all over, wiping away the excess water in the pan with a paper towel. Add a little more garlic oil if necessary.
7. Make the mushroom sauce. Put the dashi, soy sauce, sugar, sake and mirin in another pan. Brint it to a boil and add the beef. Simmer it and scim the suface of the broth.
8. Add the mushrooms. When it comes to a boil again, thicken the sauce with the potato starch dissolved in the water.
9. Place the tofu steak on a plate and pour the mushroom sauce over top. Garnish with the chopped spring onion.