Tempeh Burnt Ends

Ahhh burnt ends. One of my favorite barbecue dishes. Here’s my stab at that deep, smoky flavor and crispy texture with my tempeh.

Step 1: Salt Water Brine

Ingredients:

  • 2 8oz blocks of tempeh

  • 2 quarts water

  • 4 tbsp sugar

  • 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar

  • 8 tbsp kosher salt

Procedure:

Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 cups of the water. Mix well. Add your tempeh and the rest of the water to the brine. Place a plate, ceramic weight, and/or plastic wrap to submerge the tempeh. Let this sit for about 2-3 hours. Remove and pat dry.


(Optional) Step 2: Quick-Smoke Tempeh

This is an optional step, which creates additional flavor and a nice crust. I smoked the tempeh indirectly over open coals.

Equipment & Tools:

  • Wood Chips or Smoke Pellets

  • Grill, smoker, or stovetop smoke box

  • A smoke-holding device, like a disposable aluminum pan

Procedure:

There is plenty of information on the internet about basic quick smoking processes. The goal is to add smoke to the tempeh with out over-smoking it, and to gently add heat without cooking the tempeh thoroughly just yet.

Follow the directions on the wood chips or smoke pellets. If you using a grill, I recommend a temperature of 250-275 and burners/fire on only on one side. Remember, you want to indirectly heat and smoke the tempeh—the tempeh goes on the far side, away from the flame. Flip halfway through. This method takes about 15-20 minutes until you see a good color.

Step 3: Spice Rub 

Ingredients

  • 1/4 C Chile Powder

  • 1/4 C Brown Sugar

  • 2 tbsp Mustard Powder

  • 2 tbsp Garlic Powder

  • 2 tbsp Kosher Salt

  • 1 tbsp Black Pepper

  • 2 tsp Cayenne

  • Oil

Procedure 

Mix all spices together in a bowl and add enough oil to make a smooth paste. Apply this spice paste generously to your tempeh, covering all sides. 

Step 4: Honey Mustard BBQ Sauce (do now or while tempeh is grilling)

Ingredients:

  • 1 C Mustard

  • 1/4 C Apple Cider Vinegar

  • 1/4 C Honey 

  • 2 tbsp Garlic, finely minced

  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce (or coconut aminos, etc.)

Procedure

Heat this in a sauce pan until it reaches a boil and then remove from the heat. This sauce will be for finishing the burnt ends. Keep it in the pot for now.

Step 5: Grill the tempeh

Total grilling time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 C Apple Cider Vinegar

  • 1/3 C Brown Sugar

  • Basting brush

Procedure:

Mix together the vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Heat up your grill to about 400-425F, keeping one side without flame. Add your tempeh to the side without heat, close the lid and let each side get some deep browned color—this make take about 20 minutes on each side. Baste the tempeh while its cooking to keep it moist and to not dry out. If you want more color at the very end, scooch the tempeh directly over the heat to get some char, but be careful not to scorch it. Remove tempeh from heat.

Step 6: Finish the tempeh in hot oil

Ingredients:

  • Cast Iron Pan or Skillet

  • Oil to cover Pan by 1/8-1/4”

Procedure:

Cut the tempeh into odd triangle shapes to mimic what burnt ends look like. Heat your skillet and oil on medium-high heat and sear each side to get a nice golden brown color. This won’t take long at all, maybe 30-45 seconds per side, depending how hot your oil is. Add more oil if you need to. Remove your tempeh after it has all been seared. Depending on the size of your sauce pot with the BBQ sauce you can either add it to the pot, or get a wide enough of a pan to add your tempeh and honey mustard sauce, bringing to a gentle simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Let it thicken and reduce a bit. Taste for flavor and adjust as you see fit.

There you go, you now have burnt ends to add to your southern BBQ feast!

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RecipesTaylor WestbrookSouthern