While this tastes nothing at all like steak, a quick glance in poor light might fool you for a minute or two. However, the texture, although quite different from beef flesh, which many of us might find to be a relief, if anything, it has a chewiness that no other veg~an food offers. As I hadn’t eaten a steak for about a quarter of a century before I discovered seitan, it’s hard for me really to compare it, but what I do know, is that it makes a very satisfactory substitute and can be used and served in a similar way to steak or beef, in stews, curries, etc. It's also very good fried, with perhaps some celery seeds and cracked black pepper rubbed into it, before putting it in the frying pan.
I like to serve the steak with chips and a side salad or green vegetable. And bread of course, for the chip butties (coming from Liverpool I make no apology for this!). It's also good with a couple of fried mushrooms and a fried tomato, with a fried egg, or indeed, in any way you would normally serve steak.
Makes 1 huge, 2 small
Ingredients
2 rounded
tbsp couscous
1
tsp Marmite/miso
½
cup boiling water
2
tsp nutritional yeast
1/4
tsp onion powder
1/4
tsp Kashmiri chilli powder*
1/4
tsp smoked paprika
1/4
tsp ground/cracked black pepper
1/2
tsp mushroom stock powder OR 1/2 tsp mushroom powder + 1/4 tsp salt
celery
seed
cracked
black pepper
salt
2
tsp tomato paste
1½
tsp soya sauce
1
tsp olive oil OR 1 tbsp (vegan) ghee OR 1 tbsp tahini*
1
tsp vinegar
rounded 1/2
cup vital wheat gluten
Instructions:
- Put the couscous and Marmite/miso in a bowl; pour over the water and cover. Set aside to cool completely.
- Add the nutritional yeast, onion powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, smoked paprika,black pepper, mushroom stock powder, one at a time to the couscous, mixing very thoroughly each time.
- Add the celery seed and extra cracked black pepper, if you are using them. Alternatively, put to one side and rub them onto the finished steaks just before frying them. Depending on how salty the stock powder is, you might want to add extra salt.
- Add the water, tomato paste, soya sauce, olive oil/ghee/tahini and vinegar, ensuring that everything is well blended.
- Then add the vital wheat gluten, mixing in with a knife or spatula and finish off mixing it by hand. It doesn’t stick to your fingers and is easy to work. I have found less is more, when it comes to kneading and just knead the dough until everything is mixed in and smooth. However, try to makes sure you have used every last scrap of it - leftovers are difficult to remove if you let them dry. if it’s not quite clean, ensure that you leave the bowl to soak.
- Now shape into one or two steaks. I tend to make one big one and a smaller one for breakfast the next day. Work quite quickly: if the dough dries out, it seems reluctant to stick back together again.
- Place your steaks on a lightly-greased trivet in your pressure cooker, with about half a cup of water. The water shouldn’t cover the trivet. You can put it on parchment paper instead of greasing the trivet, if you prefer.
- Bring up to pressure for 10 minutes and let the pressure reduce gradually. Remove the steaks and place them to cool.
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan and when it’s hot, add your steaks. Fry on both sides. They are already cooked, so this frying is to reheat them and add more flavour.
A little bit of Dijon mustard goes well with them. Serve as you would a steak. I like chips and salad, myself, or smashed potatoes and freeze-dried peas.
Notes:
- *Kashmiri chilli powder is mild, but has a bright red colour, which enhances the appearance of the steak. If you are concerned about it being too hot, add more smoked paprika.
- Tahini adds an element of earthiness to the flavour.
- When I make this steak, I usually make a large one and a small, thin one for breakfast the next day. This is great in a roll or with good bread in a sandwich.
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