Bacon Wrapped Bean Curd with Spicy Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

This is a sort of riff on bacon-wrapped shrimp. While not necessarily any healthier than the seafood original, I found the result to be very tasty with a very nice texture. The dipping sauce is an alteration of a "Polynesian Meatballs" recipe that originally came from a newspaper in Phoenix, AZ some time in the 1970s. My family has been making them for special occasions for years, and the sauce is simple and stands up to simmering. To tone down the spiciness I suggest using a bottled chili sauce of lower heat, as that's what the original recipe calls for.

- One package Pressed Soybean Cake
- bacon - nice high-quality stuff is a good idea
- Fresh Rosemary - pay special attention to the stems. You want nice solid ones.

Step 1:

For the sauce:

- 1/2 c Ketchup/Catsup
- 1/4 c Sriracha
- 1/4 c grape jam/jelly
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce (out of respect for my long-departed grandfather, I must insist on Lea and Perrins)

Step 2:

First, we wrap!

Start by denuding our greenery.

Step 3:

Pluck off all the leaves, and strip off whatever bark will easily come off as well. Then cut each twig into two sticks suitable for stabbing pork and soybean - I like about a 45 degree angle on the cut to make it easier to pierce things.

Step 4:

Pressed soybean cake is much sturdier than tofu. It will hold its shape when cut up, and won't leak much (if any) water. We'll take advantage of this fact and cut it into little wrapable shapes like so:

Step 5:

Cut the bacon in half lengthwise, making it the perfect width for wrapping.

Step 6:

Start on one end of the curd. Wrap the bacon around itself on the first end to hold it in place; continue to encircle the cake until it is surrounded by pig; put the loose end over the end of the bean cake.

Step 7:

Take one of your sharpened rosemary sticks and poke cleanly through both bacon and soybean, pinning them together for the rest of their (probably brief) existence.

Step 8:

Repeat until you have as many wrapped up pieces of bean cake as you want.

Step 9:

Heat up a large frying pan, preferably cast iron. If your bacon is particularly lean you might want to consider a bit of oil/grease to lubricate the pan. Start frying over medium to medium-low heat. Alternately, you could probably cook these in the oven. But beware of splatters.

Step 10:

Keep an eye on the bacon-wrapped beauties. In the meantime, combine all the sauce components in a small saucepan.

Heat, stirring occasionally, until it bubbles. Your sauce is ready.

Step 11:

And so are your bacon wrapped beans cakes!

Step 12:

Serve soon as they are best when hot.

Step 13:

Closeup of Bacon Wrapped Bean Curd with Spicy Dipping Sauce.