Subject: VEGAN: Seitan and Seitan Bulgogi (with honey)

From: "Lu Bozinovich " <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 1994 01:58:21 GMT

I finally got up the nerve to make my own homemade seitan, and I was not
disappointed!

Seitan with Oat 'n Wheat Flour

2 c gluten (vital wheat gluten)
1 c oat flour (or ground rolled oats)
1 c whole wheat bread flour
2 t salt
2 c water

Mix dry ingredients well.  Add water and stir.  Place on flat board and
knead with your body weight for pressure, for 5 to 10 minutes.  It will
eventually be evenly moist and springy, but hard to form into a shape.
Roll into a large cylinder shape.  Slice into "cutlets", about 1/4"-1/2"
thick and 4" along the major axis.  These look marbled, like fancy b#%f.
I got 10-12 cutlets.  At this stage, the Pickarski way to prepare seitan
is to place a few pieces, about 4-5 cutlets, in simmering water, and
simmer for 30 minutes.  Then add spices or veggies to the water and
continue simmering for another 1 hour.  I've read that people simmer
seitan for up to 3 hours, but that is beyond my patience.

I tried a few experiments.  Baked two, turned out like crusty bread.  Pan
fried two, tastey, but the inner part was moist dough.  Froze two before
simmering, we'll see how that turns out.  The remaining slices were used
in the next recipe (Seitan Bulgogi) or refrigerated.  Should keep as long
as any seitan would -- about 8 days.  Or frozen for longer.

Lu B.
---
Seitan Bulgogi
(inspired by the Korean "beef bulgogi")

4 seitan cutlets (1/2" thick by 4" diameter, approximately)
2 big or 6 small green onions, thinly sliced
3 T minced fresh ginger, or less
3 T reduced-sodium soy sauce, tamari or shoyu
1 T rice wine vinegar or umeboshi plum vinegar
2 t partly ground roasted sesame seeds
1 T honey
4 cloves garlic, chopped
sesame oil, untoasted
ground black pepper to taste

I used seitan cutlets which had simmered for about 90 minutes in a water
with 1 dried ancho chile and organic orange peel added (this spice
appeared not to affect the flavor much).  Remove and drain.  Slice the
seitan into long thin strips (about 1/4" wide).  It should look like rare
meat on the inside, even though the outermost layer is water logged and
puffy textured.  Mix the marinade: onions, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar,
sesame seeds and honey.  Take at least 1/2 the marinade and process it
with all the garlic, then mix in with the rest.  Marinade the strips of
seitan for a few minutes (or a few hours in the refrigerator), allowing
some of the sesame seeds and green onion to adhere to the strips.

Heat up a skillet, with a thin coat of sesame oil.  Note: this oil cannot
withstand high heats.  Saute the marinated strips for a few minutes on
each side, on medium heat -- it isn't meat, so it doesn't need to cook
as long.  Be careful not to burn the marinade.  If you do, just scrape
it off and keep cooking.  Serve with steamed veggies (napa cabbage,
carrots, sprouts), ground black pepper and Lundberg organic brown rice.

Lu B.