Great barbecue is all about texture and depth of flavor. It does not need to involve meat, chicken or fish to be delicious. It doesn’t even have to be made on a grill!

For many years vegan, kosher sushi chef Marisa Baggett competed in Memphis’ kosher barbecue competition with her award-winning team, Adam’s Ribs. “This tofu is a tribute to Memphis-style barbecue, but with a twist,” Baggett told The Journal. “Instead of being served with a tomato-forward sauce, it’s paired with a sweet soy glaze inspired by the Japanese flavors I’ve come to love.”

Baggett’s flavors work beautifully when going for the full Memphis experience: piled high on a bun, drizzled with sauce, and topped with your favorite coleslaw. “Oven-roasting makes this easy to prepare at home, but for an extra hit of smoky flavor, you can finish it on the grill,” she said. “Just be sure to place it on a sheet of aluminum foil so the shaved tofu doesn’t slip through the grates.”

BBQ Tofu with Sweet Soy Sauce Recipe

Serves 3

Vegan

For the Barbecue Tofu:

1 (14 oz) block extra firm tofu (No need to press!)

1 tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

¼ tsp ground mustard powder

¼ tsp brown sugar

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp toasted sesame seeds

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp salt

2 tsp soy sauce 

2 tsp rice vinegar

For the Sweet Soy Barbecue Sauce:

¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce 

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

3 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp ketchup

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

1 small garlic clove, grated

½ tsp sesame oil

Shave or cut the tofu: Use a vegetable peeler to shave the extra firm tofu into thin, meat-like slices. Or use a knife to make thin slices. It’s OK if some of it breaks into small pieces and that some are slightly uneven.

Season the tofu: Place the shaved tofu in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with soy sauce and rice vinegar and toss gently. This will help the dry rub stick. In a separate small bowl, mix together the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard powder, brown sugar, cayenne, sesame seeds, black pepper and salt. Sprinkle the dry rub over the tofu.

Bake: Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. The edges should start to crisp and darken slightly.

Make the barbecue sauce: While the tofu bakes, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, ginger, garlic and sesame oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 3–4 minutes, until slightly thickened. Set aside. 

Serve: Serve the tofu hot with the sauce on the side or drizzle it over the top. It’s great on a toasted bun with coleslaw. 

One of the things Rabbi Dr. Jo David really missed as a vegan was barbecue meat, especially brisket. “I recently came across Chunk brand meats in the frozen food section of my local health food store,” David, who writes poetry and nonfiction, as well as Regency romance novels, told The Journal. Chunk, which specializes in high-protein, plant-based meat products, delivers a very beefy taste and texture.

While David generally prefers a whole food vegan diet — she also uses jackfruit as a meat substitute — once in a while she enjoys something different. “I bought the Chunk pulled product a couple of months ago and created this vegan barbecue brisket recipe,” she said. “My husband and I really enjoyed it; I think it’s good enough to fool meat eaters.”

The recipe below can be made with jackfruit or Chunk pulled products.

Rabbi Jo’s Vegan BBQ Brisket 2 Ways

1 14 oz can of jackfruit – I suggest organic, if you can find it (not sweet), drained and mashed with a fork until it has the consistency of pulled beef (shreds.)

Or

1 package Chunk pulled plant-based meat, defrosted

1 Tbsp of olive oil if using plant based pulled meat

1-2 cups of tomato-based sauce pasta sauce; tomato, tomato and basil or marinara

1 cup of your favorite vegan barbeque sauce (I like sugar-free)

1-2 cups of water

1 tsp smoked paprika (or more to taste), optional

1 tsp garlic powder (or more to taste), optional

Salt and pepper to taste, if desired

This recipe makes 2-3 servings of Vegan BBQ Brisket. For that quantity, a large non-stick skillet is fine. If you wish to double the recipe, use the skillet to crisp the pulled meat, one package at a time, and then transfer into a pot. It’s not necessary to crisp the jackfruit, so just assemble that and cook in a pot.

For The Chunk pulled Meat version:

Heat a non-stick skillet with a small amount of olive oil. When the oil is hot, lower the heat and add the defrosted meat to the pan. With a fork or a spoon, separate the strands. Cook for about 5 minutes without stirring, adjusting the heat as necessary. After 5 minutes, check to see if the bottom of the meat is getting brown and crispy. If so, stir the shreds so that the un-browned part of the meat is on the bottom. Then cook for another 3-4 minutes until all the shreds are crispy around the edges. If using only 1 package of the pulled meat, continue with the recipe, adding the ingredients to the skillet. If using two or more packages of meat, brown one package at a time and then add to a large pot to continue the recipe.

For the Jackfruit version

Note: If using 1 can of Jackfruit, use a skillet. If using more than 1 can, use a large pot.

Put the jackfruit in the skillet or pot. Heat the jackfruit for a couple of minutes until it is warm. Stir occasionally, so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

For both versions

Once the shreds are prepared, add 1 cup of the pasta sauce and ½ cup of barbeque sauce to the pan or pot. Combine with the shreds.

Add some water slowly to create a cooking liquid.

Taste the cooking broth.

Remember, everyone has a different idea about what barbecue should taste like and how dry or moist it should be. According to your preference, add more pasta sauce, more barbecue sauce and/or more water. Continue doing this, adding small amounts, until you achieve the desired consistency.

If you wish, add some smoked paprika and/or garlic powder, salt and pepper. 

Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for a couple of minutes until all the flavors have blended and the shreds have absorbed some of the sauce.

Serve as a barbecue Sloppy Joe on a vegan burger bun or on a plate with side dishes of your choice.

Suggestion: Like many stewed dishes, this tastes even better the next day. Make it a day in advance and refrigerate it, if you like.