Smoked Tempeh with Barbeque Sauce or Asian Marinade

For smoked flavor, use wood chips such as mesquite or hickory chips found in the grilling section of grocery store. Place a couple handfuls of wood chips in a bowl of water and soak for 30 minutes or longer. Drain wood chips and place in a metal smoke box or make a packet out of heavy duty aluminum foil with the chips inside and a few holes poked on top. Pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill and prepare for smoking.

Use a large pot with a steamer basket. Place 2 inches of water in the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium. Add the whole block of tempeh to the steam basket and steam the tempeh for 15 minutes. Remove the block of tempeh and set aside to cool,

When cool enough to handle, slice the tempeh into 4 equal pieces. Spray with water and rub the pieces on all sides with the barbeque spice rub. When ready to smoke the tempeh, place the wood chips in the hot grill until they release smoke. Reduce the temperature of the grill to bring it to under 250 degrees.

If using a charcoal grill, use indirect heat method. For gas grill, turn off one or two burners, depending on the type of grill, to allow for an indirect section. Smoke the tempeh for 30-40 minutes. After smoking the tempeh, brush with barbeque sauce and cook on higher heat for a few minutes to coat them well with the sauce. Once the sauce is brushed on they will burn easily, so turn frequently.

Follow instructions above for smoking and steaming tempeh. After steamed and cooled, slice into 1/2 inch slices. Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place the sliced tempeh in the marinade for 10 minutes, turning over after 5 minutes. Reserve the marinade.

Smoke the marinated tempeh slices for 30 minutes. Place tempeh slices on hotter side of grill and brush with reserved marinade until desired color is achieved. Serve with brown rice and vegetables or on flatbread with hummus.