weird food: BBQ yuba

In Portland there is a new-ish gigantic Chinese grocery. It has the kind of stuff you’d have to look very hard to find even in big cities. In the left end of the very back aisle, there is a shelf with five or so different brands of “bean curd sticks,” also known as “yuba.” It is thin plasticky sheets of soy protein, pulled off the top of soy milk just like the skin on hot chocolate.

I bought some, for about $1.25/package, and carried it back to Sacramento, and somehow I had everything necessary in my pantry to make bbq yuba. And I can’t stop snacking on it. An approximate recipe:

BBQ Yuba/”bean curd sticks”

• 6-10 oz bean curd sticks/dried yuba (a package)
• 1/4 c nootch
• 1/4 c peanutbutter
• 2 tbsp miso
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp melted butter/oil
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1-2 cups BBQ sauce—your recipe is probably better than mine:
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 small onion, minced
  • 2 tbsp molasses
  • 1 c ketchup
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

1. break the yuba into quarters or shorter sticks. crushed bits are ok/good. pour boiling water over them, and let soak for 20 minutes to 6 hours.
2. mix everything else over a medium-low burner.
3. drain the yuba and mix into sauce.
4. spread in clumps on an oiled baking sheet. bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes, flipping after 25 minutes.

I adapted the recipe from this recipe for “Un-Ribs.” nootch = nutritional yeast.

p.s. Christmas and New Years were awesome, I’m back in Sac now exhausted but optimistic.