Start off by pressing your tofu to remove excess water. If this is your first time pressing tofu, you can either use a tofu press or a stack of books and paper towels. To use the book method, simply place a small stack of paper towels on top of a plate. Cover with another small stack of paper towels and put 2 or 3 heavy books on top. Press for at least 30 minutes.

Make the vegan buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to a cup of plant milk. Stir thoroughly and let sit for about 10 minutes while it curdles.

Add your hot sauce to the vegan buttermilk. Stir and set aside.

Make the flour mixture by adding flour, cornstarch, sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to a medium bowl. Whisk it until all ingredients are well-incorporated. Set aside.

Crush the cornflakes and add them to a small bowl. Set aside.

Once your tofu has been pressed for at least 30 minutes, slice into 8 pieces.

Now, set up a little dredge station and dip each piece of tofu into the vegan buttermilk mixture, then into the flour making sure to coat all sides with a thick layer of flour, then back to the vegan buttermilk, then to the cornflakes. Yes, it will get messy!

Place each piece of tofu on a parchment lined baking sheet (you can also add a layer of paper towels to help absorb the oil from the fried tofu) Heat a skillet (cast iron is best) half-full of vegetable oil.

Make coleslaw by adding chopped coleslaw, vegan mayonnaise, rice vinegar and a dash of sea salt to a bowl. Stir until coleslaw is well-coated. Place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the rest of the sandwich.

Once your oil is hot, add 4 pieces of tofu to the skillet and fry on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes on each side (or until golden brown). Repeat with the next 4 pieces.

While your first batch of hot tofu is cooking, add cayenne pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, smoked paprika and garlic powder to a small bowl. Once you’ve finished frying the tofu, add some oil from the skillet to the bowl to “bloom” the spices and whisk thoroughly with a fork or mini whisk.

Add hot oil to a pourable container (I use this one). Then top each piece of tofu with a generous amount of hot chili oil.

To make a single layer sandwich, add a layer of vegan mayo to the bottom of the bun. Then stack with crispy tofu pieces, a layer of coleslaw, then pickles. Enjoy your new favorite vegan comfort food with an ice cold beer and some rippled potato chips or my air fryer sweet potato fries.