Vegan Steak
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cooked Lentils (I used canned)
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Vegan Worcestershire
- 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Mushroom Seasoning (or salt to taste)
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 cup Vital Wheat Gluten
- 1 Tbsp Oil
- 1 Tbsp Kitchen Bouquet, Gravy Master or Dark Soy Sauce (optional for color)
Instructions
- A can of cooked lentils will typically give you about 1/4 - 1/2 cup extra so just save them for later or eat them like I did!
- Add cooked lentils to a mixing bowl. Mash them down with the back of a spoon until they resemble refried beans.
- Add in everything else except the Oil and Kitchen Bouquet.
- Knead mixture together with clean hands for about 5 minutes. Start off in the bowl. Knead until the seitan takes on a stretchy and shreddable texture. Then add in the oil and Kitchen Bouquet / Dark Soy Sauce. Knead that in as well. The browning sauce / dark soy sauce will create a nice marbling effect! If seitan feels dry, add 1 Tbsp of water and knead in. Repeat until the seitan holds its shape.
- Then, transfer to a work surface like a cutting board. Continue to knead. I like to flatten it out, then fold it in half on to itself to create layers, or a grain. Fold it in half in the same direction to form the grain about 4 or 5 times.Check Notes for more info on kneading!
- Cut it in half and form each half into a steak like shape. Try to keep it relatively flat and even to obtain even cooking. Around 1/2 to 1 inch thick. If the seitan won't get that flat, let it rest for 10 minutes and try again.
- Fill a pot lined with a steam basket with about 1 - 2 inches of water. Bring to a simmer, then add the seitan steaks to the steam basket. Cover the pot and simmer to steam the steaks for about 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, if you can, check with a thermometer to see that the internal temp of the steak is between 180 - 200 F. This will mean it's done!
- You can store them in Tupperware in the fridge over night. This will make them slightly firmer. But you can also cook the steaks immediately after steaming, the texture is still great!
- Simply pan fry in a well seasoned cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat for about 2 - 3 minutes per side. Flipping as often as you'd like. Season with salt and pepper or whatever you like!
- You can even baste it with some vegan butter, rosemary and thyme and garlic! It's super good that way!
- You can also shred or slice this up to use in any dish that you like. I just had the leftovers as a Cheesesteak and it was amazing!
Notes
NOTES: The longer you knead your seitan, the tougher it will be. These are pretty good and tender with a nice chew, so if you want something chewier, simply knead them for longer. I typically knead them for about 5 minutes or so.
Either way, if the seitan comes out either too tough or too soft, you'll need to adjust your kneading time next time! Unfortunately with seitan, a lot of it is muscle memory and knowing what you like. That said, even if you don't like the texture of it as a steak, you can almost certainly shred or chop it up and pan fry it for just about any dish and it'll still be great!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!