Bonefish Grill Copycat Bang Bang Sauce and Bang Bang Tofu

Have you tried any of the copy-cat "bang-bang" recipes out there? You know, that creamy spicy sauce made popular by Bonefish Grill's Bang Bang Shrimp. Ever since that dish became popular, I have seen many things made "bang bang" style.

I made Bang Bang Cauliflower a while back and had been craving it again, but wanted it as an entrée. One night Jon was making some shrimp and I planned on making tofu for myself, and as soon as I grabbed the Sriracha sauce I knew I wanted to make Bang Bang Tofu. I used the cauliflower recipe as inspiration.

 I pressed and cubed the tofu, dipped it in a thick batter, and fried it up before tossing it with the sauce that makes my mouth water every time I think about it. Using tofu in this way was perfect - the batter gets thick and crispy while the tofu stays soft. If you have been wanting to try tofu but are nervous about the texture, this may be the way to do it since you'll have some other textures than just the soft tofu.

Bang Bang Tofu

Inspired by: Bang Bang Cauliflower

The Batter

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 c ice water
• 1 3/4 c flour, sifted

Place the egg yolks in a large bowl. Add iced water gradually, blend well. Add the flour all at once and stir briefly so it's all mixed, but still has lumps and clumps. Make this batter as soon as you are ready to start cooking - you don't want it sitting around.


The Bang Bang Sauce
Mix these ingredients together in a bowl -

• 1/4 c mayonnaise
• 1/4 c Sriracha sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar

The Tofu (sub this for anything you'd like - shrimp, chicken, veggies)

• 1 block of tofu
• Canola or vegetable oil; about 1/4 - 1/3 inch deep in a large nonstick pan
• Green onions for garnish

Take 1 block of extra firm tofu, wrap it in paper towels or a clean, dry kitchen towel and place it on a plate. Place something heavy on top of it (but not something that will crush or break the tofu) and place it in the fridge for about an hour.

Heat the oil over high heat

Cube the tofu, dip each piece in batter, and drop it into very hot oil. Fry about 90 seconds - 2 minutes, flip and fry the other side (if frying chicken or shrimp, make sure it is fully cooked by checking the temperature). 
Remove from the pan and place on paper towels to let some of the grease drain. Toss with the sauce and top with green onions.

 

 

Cheesesteaks

Born and raised in Philly, this girl knows a cheesesteak. If you have never experienced a cheesesteak, you must do it in Philadelphia. If you ever see "Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich" on a menu in another city, stay away. A real cheesesteak will never be called a Philly Cheese Steak, nor will it have the word Sandwich in the title.

There are a few key things that make up an authentic cheesesteak. I had to teach them to Jon when he moved down here from Maine - I think some of our biggest fights were about what makes up a cheesesteak! 

First, you have to use an Amoroso roll. And if you don't live in the area, unfortunately, you can't get them. If you have to use another roll, make sure it's a thick, dense steak roll that is a bit tough on the outside, and soft on the inside. 

Second, I don't care what anyone says, Cheez-Wiz has no place on a cheesesteak. The cheese must be provolone or American. The tourist spots in Philly can keep their Cheez-Wiz (oh yea, stay away from the tourist traps if you visit. Instead hit up a local corner pizza shop). The steak - chopped, not a big slab of steak. Toppings - peppers and onions. No mushrooms, no lettuce or tomato, just peppers, and onions. And maybe hot peppers. If you want to get fancy, you can add pizza sauce for a pizza steak. 

Finally, the ends of your roll should be soggy and greasy halfway through enjoying your cheesesteak. You'll also have to learn "the lean" to eat the cheesesteak without getting it all over yourself - lean into the cheesesteak instead of trying to bring it up to your mouth. Last night I made cheesesteaks at home following all of these rules. 

Ingredients

• 1 onion, sliced
• 1/2 green pepper, sliced
• Thinly sliced steaks. I used Landis steaks, made right here in PA, and found in the frozen section. You can also get a rib eye, freeze it, and then thinly slice it. Paper-thin. I used 6 slices per cheesesteak.
• 2 Amoroso steak rolls
• 6 slices provolone cheese
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Directions

• Heat about 2 tbsp olive oil on a large griddle.
• Add the onions and peppers; saute until the peppers are soft and lightly browned, and the onions are nicely browned/fried. Like this -

• Remove the peppers and onions from the griddle and keep them warm.
• Add 2 more tbsp oil to the griddle. Add the steaks, like this -

• Brown the steaks on one side, keeping them whole. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Flip the steaks, and using 2 spatulas, start to shred the beef. You want a bunch of bite-sized pieces of beef.
• In the meantime, throw your rolls into a 350 oven for no more than 3 minutes to lightly toast them.
• Once browned, separate the beef into 2 long piles that are the length and width of your rolls.
• Top with provolone cheese, and throw a lid on top of each pile to get the cheese to melt.
• Layer the peppers and onions onto one half of the roll; top with the meat. This way you will get a bit of onions and peppers in every bite.

I am very, very picky about my cheesesteaks, and I really outdid myself with these! Jon has also become picky about his cheesesteaks and he was impressed. They tasted exactly like a good cheesesteak that I'd get in a local Philly joint.

I served them with some fries, just store-bought frozen fries that I tossed with olive oil, salt, and garlic powder and baked until crispy.