Recipe: Corned Seitan

Saint Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. That means it’s time to celebrate the sliver of Irish blood that courses in my veins. I may not have matured all that much, but I’ve matured just enough so that I won’t be taking the day off from work to drink it away with my friends like I have in prior years. So, instead of overindulging in holiday appropriate beers and liquors, I overindulge in holiday appropriate foods.

Nothing says St. Patty’s Day like corned beef and cabbage (besides perhaps soda bread, but I have to save something to post for the holiday next year). So, I’ve come up with this recipe for the vegan-friendly alternative, corned seitan.



This seitan would go outstandingly roasted up with some cabbage, or sliced thinly and put onto some rye with some sauerkraut for a fantastic vegan reuben.

Ingredients:

1 c. vital wheat gluten
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
dash clove
dash allspice

1/4 c. vinegar (white or apple cider)
1/4 c. yellow mustard
1/4 c. gin
2 Tbsp olive oil

Firstly, this can be cooked in a couple different ways. You can either simmer the seitan in a pot of water, or if you have a steamer basket it can be steamed. In my experience simmering will provide a lighter, less dense texture—that my wife prefers—while steaming makes the seitan a bit meatier—which I prefer. So, get a pot of water on the stove on high to come to a boil—three inches deep or so if you plan to simmer, only about one inch deep if steaming.

While the water is heating, combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix the ingredients thoroughly (I sieve all ingredients through a mesh colander too, just to ensure there’s no clumps). In a second bowl, mix the wet ingredients and stir together.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir together until uniformly moistened. Knead the mixture for 2 minutes. Then form into a loaf-like shape and wrap into either some cheese cloth.

If simmering, drop the wrapped seitan into the water and simmer for 40 minutes. If steaming, set the wrapped seitan onto the steamer basket and steam for 30 minutes.


Once the 40 or 30 minutes are up, remove the seitan and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Unwrap the seitan and cut it up in thick slices for the dinner plate or thin slices for sandwiches.

Hope you enjoy! May the road rise to meet you!