Vegan Seitan Steaks

These vegan steaks are tender yet chewy, great served as a meat and potaotes meal or chopped up and cooked into other dishes. It's really flavorful on it's own, but lends itsself nicely to added seasoning! This recipe makes 2 pounds of seitan (six 5 1/3 oz steaks). Make it a day in advance for best texture.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small red onion, chopped (~1 heaping cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 cups (320g) vital wheat gluten
• 1/4 cup (35g) chickpea flour

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Heat a skillet over medium low. Add 1...: Heat a skillet over medium low. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and the onions and the peeled garlic and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes.
2. 2Transfer the cooked onions and garlic to a...: Transfer the cooked onions and garlic to a blender and add the vegetable broth, red wine, black beans, 2 tbsp olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and salt. Blend the mixture until smooth.
3. 3In a large mixing bowl whisk together the...: In a large mixing bowl whisk together the vital wheat gluten and chickpea flour. Add the wet ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon to make a shaggy dough.
4. 4Turn the dough out onto a clean counter...: Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead by hand for 3 minutes. Then, let the dough rest for 5 minutes, before kneading an additional 3 minutes. The dough will go from soft and somewhat sticky to developed and a bit tough.
5. 5Prepare six 10-inch long sheets of aluminum foil....: Prepare six 10-inch long sheets of aluminum foil. Place 6-inch wide pieces of parchment paper in the center of the foil.
6. 6Divide the dough into 6 pieces and press...: Divide the dough into 6 pieces and press and stretch each piece of dough into a rectangular steak, about 4x6". If the dough won't hold it's shape, let it rest for a few minutes before stretching.
7. 7Place each steak in the center of a...: Place each steak in the center of a sheet of aluminum foil and wrap with parchment paper before folding in the sides of the foil to meet in the center. Fold the ends in to make a triangle, then fold the triangle over until it reaches the seitan. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
8. 8Bring a pot of water with a steamer...: Bring a pot of water with a steamer insert to a boil, when boiling add the wrapped seitan dough to the steamer basket. Steam for 35 minutes over medium-low heat to maintain a low boil, checking to make sure the pot doesn't boil dry.
9. 9After 35 minutes turn the heat off and...: After 35 minutes turn the heat off and let the seitan cool in the pot for another 10 minutes or so. When they've cooled off a little you can take them out and let them cool to room temperature before placing in a sealed container and letting chill in the fridge overnight. While you can eat them right away, the texture is much better the next day.