Tempting tempeh.

The first time I tried my hand at tempeh, I’d been a vegetarian for less than a year (for those of you keeping track at home, that was about a decade ago). It was one of those family gatherings where a large, stuffed bird or a chunky hunk o’ butt is the centerpiece of the meal, and I’d read somewhere that tempeh is the “meatiest” of the traditional meat replacements (excepting, obviously, those molded and flavored to resemble meats), so I gave it a shot.

It may have been that the slab of fermented soybeans that I got had been on the shelf at the suburban grocer a bit too long, or maybe I just didn’t have a clue how to prepare the stuff, but let’s just say my father, who has tried such things before, described the results of my culinary experiment as “rancid liver.” I had never tried liver (though a couple years ago, I had a traditional Filipino roll that, to my great surprise, included a hunk of low-grade patê in the center, which I promptly spat out but will never forget, and he was pretty much right on), but after that meal, I never again wanted to try tempeh.

However, on one recent late-night grocery excursion, I was hungry for a bit of protein and the frozen fake meats weren’t calling my name, so I bought a block. I also picked up a container of vegan “no-egg salad,” and since it was far easier to eat, it was the first to go — and surprisingly good, for you vegans out there craving a proteiny bit of a treat. I stuck the tempeh toward the back of the fridge and pretty much forgot about it for more than a week (or perhaps that bad memory was still too poignant).

When it came time to make the decision to either cook it or let my money go to waste completely as it rotted in the back of the ‘meat’ drawer, I finally opened the package. I noticed that the front of the plastic wrapping had a recipe, which I modified according to my taste and the supplies I had at home.

It turned out completely, amazingly delicious, so I’ll share it with you now:

Tempting Tempeh

• 1 block five-grain tempeh
• 4 Tbsp. butter (vegans or health-conscious types can definitely substitute oil and/or reduce the portion)
• 2 cloves crushed or finely minced garlic
• About 2 Tbsp. tamari (soy sauce)
• About 1 tsp. cumin
• About 2 tsp. mirin

1. Put butter and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl and cook until melted.
2. While butter is melting, cut tempeh into bite-sized cubes.
3. Put tempeh into bowl with butter and garlic and toss to coat. Add remaining ingredients and stir.
4. Let marinate about 15 minutes.
5. Pour mixture into frying pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tempeh gets a dark brown, gooey coating and sauce is thick, about 10 minutes.
6. Eat it hot or cold.

Someone who does not like soy very much and was probably just saying he liked the dish in order to flatter me didn’t even make a disgusted face when he tried it cold (it’s definitely better fresh and hot), so you know it has to be good!

I took pictures but can’t upload them from here, but trust me when I say it even looks delicious.

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