Name: Chile Braised Tofu
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Southwest (Tex-Mex)US & Canada
Ingredients: 3 dried ancho chiles , stemmed, seeded, and torn into 1-inch pieces; 1 onion , chopped; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 2 garlic cloves , crushed and peeled; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon sugar; Salt; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 21 ounces extra-firm tofu , sliced crosswise into ¾-inch-thick slabs; 1 tablespoon lime juice , plus lime wedges for serving; 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Why This Recipe Works

Braising is a technique most often employed for cooking large, tough cuts of meat, because the low-and-slow, moist cooking method aids in breaking down the meat's collagen. So it may seem counterintuitive to braise tender, delicate tofu. But we found that the longer cooking time was perfect for infusing tofu with flavor as it cooked gently in a highly seasoned sauce, turning mild tofu into a boldly flavorful dish. For the sauce, we used dried ancho chiles to make a potent, Tex-Mex-inspired sauce. Soaking the dried chiles in boiling water for 15 minutes softened them so they easily broke down to a paste in the blender. The chiles alone, however, were too bitter and one-dimensional. Adding aromatic onion, garlic, and cumin made our sauce taste more well rounded, while a teaspoon of sugar helped to soften the bitter ancho flavor without making our sauce taste sweet. Tomato paste thickened the sauce and gave it more savory depth. Finishing the sauce with some butter gave it a silky richness, and a little lime juice brightened up the overall flavor of our dish.

Before You Begin

You can use either firm or extra-firm tofu in this recipe. Serve over rice.

Instructions

Pour 2 cups boiling water over anchos in bowl and let sit until very soft, about 15 minutes; drain anchos, discarding liquid. Process softened anchos, onion, ¼ cup water, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in blender until mixture forms thick but smooth puree, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides of blender jar as needed.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add ancho puree and cook, stirring often, until mixture is fragrant and thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Whisk in 1¾ cups water until smooth.

Lay tofu in skillet in even layer and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently until tofu is warmed through and flavors have melded, about 30 minutes.

Transfer tofu to platter. Stir remaining 2 tablespoons butter and lime juice into sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over tofu, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.