How to Make Homemade Seitan

A vegan Philly is just one of countless options for seitan: it is used to make vegan-style bacon, chicken drummettes, Peking duck... any recipe that calls for meat cutlets can be made just as easily—and deliciously—with seitan.

Homemade Seitan

Extracting wheat gluten from wheat flour is straightforward, if a little time- and energy-consuming.

Wheat flour dough

• 8 cups wheat flour
• 3-5 cups cold water

1. Mix the flour and water together until a dough is formed.
2. Continually knead and rinse the dough under cold water for 20-30 minutes.

This removes the starch from the wheat, leaving 2-3 cups of stretchy gluten.

Season the gluten as you prefer; garlic is almost always used, as well as options such as ginger, citrus flavors such as lemon, or tomato paste. Gluten and seitan are very mild on their own that readily take on whatever flavors you want to add.

1. After flavoring the gluten, roll it into a log shape.
2. Slice the gluten into several pieces and stretch them into "cutlets."
3. Cook the cutlets in vegetarian broth; use either broth gotten from the grocery store, or the easy homemade option below.

Vegetarian Broth

• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
• 3-inch piece of kombu (a type of seaweed)

1. Combine the water, tamari or soy sauce, and kombu in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Now you are ready to add the gluten cutlets.
3. Simmer the gluten in the broth for about an hour, turning the pieces occasionally as they cook.

Alternatively, using vital wheat or gluten flour instead of regular wheat flour cuts much of the leg-work out of the process. Cut in half the amount of regular wheat flour called for in the above recipe if you are using vital wheat or gluten flour, and add the other dry ingredients before adding the liquid.

Then, simply continue the cycle of letting the flour raise and kneading it until it forms the desired texture.

If you are not using the gluten right away, let it cool and then store it in the broth.

When you are ready to use the gluten, fry it in a little oil on medium heat for about 20 minutes, flipping several times.

Keep seitan stocked in your pantry for quick, easy, nutritious, and delicious meals, including this take on a Philly-style cheese steak.

Seitan Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich

• 1 tbsp neutral-flavored cooking oil
• 1 medium onion
• 1 medium bell pepper
• ½ pound seitan
• 1 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• Vegan cheese
• 2 bread rolls

1. Slice the onion, bell pepper, and seitan into strips
2. Heat the oil over medium heat
3. Add the onion and bell pepper
4. Cover and stir occasionally, about five minutes, until soft.
5. Add the seitan and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
6. Add the Worcestershire, salt, and pepper
7. Add the filling to the rolls and add the "cheese" while the filling is still warm

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