Tofu Chicharrones

Chicharrones are bits of deep-fried pork belly much beloved in Latin America. This adaptation offers veg*ns the same greasy, chewy goodness.
Yield	about 2 cups
Time	45 minutes
Tools	medium bowl or container with lid plate paper towels heavy frying pan metal, heat-safe tongs metal, heat-safe slotted spoon
Ingredients	1 pound firm or extra firm tofu, frozen and thawed, then pressed, and then torn into small, irregular pieces 3 T soy sauce 1 T liquid smoke 1 clove garlic, minced 1 T red wine vinegar about 1/3 c peanut or sesame oil
Directions	Combine soy sauce, liquid smoke, garlic, and vinegar, then stir in the tofu pieces. Let marinate for about 15 minutes, stirring or shaking occasionally.* Line plate with paper towels and set next to the stove. Heat oil and test its readiness by dropping in a tiny piece of tofu. When it sizzles and quickly browns, add about ½ cup of tofu pieces and fry until brown, about 4-5 minutes. Turn each piece and brown the other side. Transfer to paper towels and repeat with remaining tofu. Serve hot as a snack, mix into rice, roll up in a tortilla along with some beans… the sky’s the limit!
Notes	* My tofu was so spongy that it immediately soaked up every bit of the marinade, so I didn’t need to stir it. Recipe from Viva Vegan! (read my review). Buy it: Amazon.com \| Amazon.co.uk
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