“blt” sliders with black pepper garlic sauce
Lil Memorial Day cuties!
We finally enjoyed a stormy evening on Tuesday. Rain, in the right quantities, calms the soul. I ate soup and bread and lit many a candle while listening to the drumroll thunder and the droplets babbling down the windows and leaves. We don’t get summer storms like we did in my younger years – very little by way of soul-shaking bursts of lighting or downpours so torrential you wonder if a tidal wave looms in the bodies of water nearby – but sometimes they still surprise me in their mid-May strength.
These rains apparently precede a cold front of sorts. Most years we experience a random flash of early spring weather in May or early June, when the humidity falls and we see lows somewhere around 60 instead of 70. This comes right in time for the weekend, when many of us will huddle around the grill or in the pool, or at the beach. Mighty perfect for me, perhaps not so for the majority of hot-blooded Floridians.
I guess this week is unofficially Appetizer Week. That is, until the next one around July 4th. Hope ya’ll don’t mind, and if you do, I don’t wanna hear your bitching.
The “BLT” fam continues with summery sliders. I just love these, folks. They’re the most wonderful little appetizer for all of your summer soirees and I can tell you from personal experience that they make a dope lunch with some crispy oven fries. Drooling intensifies.
I bounced a few ideas off my mom for a holiday slider, but since my brainspace has been rather scrambled of late I didn’t want to do anything elaborate; sticking with down home comfort combinations keeps me afloat, and BLT is one to cheer me on mentally cloudy days. It’s simple for you, too, if you’re feeling like feeding your pals something undeniably delicious but don’t really want to spend hours laboring over a too-hot stove.
BLT is an American favorite, and here we veggify it with my well loved tofu bacon. J gobbled these sliders up, not even caring that he wasn’t eating true bacon. The peppery garlic sauce is the ideal finisher, too. I am digging any kind of garlic sauce lately, and the kick from black pepper really amps up the smoky bacon flavors. Fresh, but hearty.
Thicc
Referring here to the bacon.
Typically, I drive a nail in your brain about slicing the tofu as thinly as possible, but here we want the pieces more substantial. The idea is to mimic the chewier finish of a thicker cut bacon. My guideline is about 1/8 inch thick, but you don’t have to bee super precise – and it’s kind of hard to be with a wiggly block of tofu.
I always grab an extra firm block when making my tofu bacon. Extra firm doesn’t require any pressing, just a good pat dry with some paper towels. If you buy firm, be sure to press it first for about 15-20 minutes. I make a homemade press with a plate, paper towels, the tofu, more towels, a plate, and a heavy skillet.
Next, slice up your tofu into strips and set onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Whisk up a marinade of soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, chili powder, and black pepper, and pour it over the tofu. Flip each strip carefully to coat both sides (don’t sweat nervously if a little bit tears) and base any marinade that pools in the pan onto the strips.
Let sit about 15 minutes, then bake until nice and crispy. 20-22 minutes at 450 should do the trick, but I start checking at 18 to make sure the thinner strips aren’t burning overmuch. When they’re firm and browned, pull the sheet out of the oven and let them cool.
Pepper Makes You Sneeze
But don’t be sneezing on the simplicity of the black pepper garlic sauce. It is AMAZING. I dunked some fries in a small dish on the side. Unffff.
The only thing that makes this recipe non-vegan is the Greek yogurt I call for in the sauce, but it’s equally as good with a full portion of vegan mayonnaise, so omit the yogurt if you want! Otherwise, all you need to stir in is some lemon juice, minced garlic, and plenty of fresh cracked black pepper. Fresh cracked is important because the pre-cracked shit in the cannisters is usually too fine, and a significant amount will quickly overpower the sauce and render it inedible. Start with 1/4 teaspoon, taste, and add up to 1/2 teaspoon. I went with the full kahuna because I heart pepper.
Grab your slider buns and give them a good toastin’ under the broiler. You don’t need to toast them, really, but I always like a little crunch on my buns. Firm buns, you know. Grilling would also be a great idea. Grilled bread is above and beyond.
Finish up with assembly! You can go in any order you want, I don’t give a shit, but I do as follows: sauce, tomato, lettuce, a couple bacon strips, pickled onions (regular works fine too, or omit if you don’t have or like them), and more sauce. Add the bun lid and dive right in!
For leftovers, store all components separately and put a slider or two together as you wish. The sauce will keep for up to a week in the fridge, and the bacon about as long, though it may lose some of its crunch. A quick reheat about 350 for about 6-8 minutes should help mend that.
So damn good. All the salt, smoke, and savory dreams I might have are quelled with these babies. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
B-L-T, I’m Dynamite:
“BLT” sliders with black pepper garlic sauce
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 8-10 slider buns
- 1 head butter lettuce
- 2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
- pickled red onions, to serve
black pepper garlic sauce
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (or regular)
- 1/4 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp freshly-cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking sheet with oil.
- Pat the tofu dry with paper towels. Slice into 1/8 inch thick strips – you want these thicker than I normally call for tofu bacon to be, since it better mimics a thick-cut bacon. Lay the strips on the baking sheet in a single layer.
- In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, chili powder, and black pepper. Pour over the tofu slices, flipping each over to coat both sides. You can also baste extra marinade over the tofu with a pastry brush. Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast for 20-22 minutes, flipping once halfway through baking time, until firmer and crisp. Check the tofu after 18 minutes to prevent burning: thinner strips will cook faster. Let cool on the baking sheet.
- Switch the broiler to high. Slice each slider bun in half and place on a baking sheet, cut sides up. Broil 1-2 minutes until toasty and golden.
- Stir together the vegan/regular mayo, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic cloves, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Spread the garlic sauce on the bottom slider bun. Top with a couple pieces of butter lettuce, then a tomato slice, then 2-3 slices of tofu bacon. Top with pickled onions and more sauce. YUMBO.
