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There’s a lot of seitan beef recipes out there on the Internet, but this is one that is extremely versatile while maintaining a good texture and consistency and, depending on your end use, is easily flavoured with a variety of seasonings and spices.

Once it has been cooked, the seitan beef is perfect sliced thinly for kebab meat and wraps after it has been lightly fried in olive oil, minced garlic and vegan kebab or souvlaki seasonings. Sliced thinly for sandwiches is also another great option. It can also be diced into thicker pieces for hard or soft shell taco recipes where Burrito spice mixes further flavour the seitan beef. Try pan frying it as the recipe states and enjoy a Sunday night roast with vegetables and homemade mushroom gravy

The Porcini mushroom powder adds a flavour depth to the seitan beef known as umami, or the savoury “fifth taste” after salt, sweet, sour and bitter. However, only the umami flavour, not the mushroom aroma, will be perceptible in the finished product.

This seitan beef forms a thicker “skin” layer on the outside when pan fried. Once it has cooled and is ready to be sliced, lightly frying it in a few more ingredients and seasonings adds additional flavour and aromas while heating the seitan back up.

See More: Delicious Seitan Recipes

Ingredients for the Seitan Beef

Dry

• 2 cups vital wheat gluten flour
• 2 tbsp chickpea flour
• 1 tsp tapioca flour
• 2 tbsp porcini mushroom powder
• 3 tsp onion powder
• 3 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp crushed peppercorns
• 1 tsp salt

Wet

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp Parisian browning essence
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Massel beef stock cubes dissolved in 2 tbsp boiling water
• 2  cups water

Pan Fry (Optional)

• 2 tbsp Nuttelex butter
• 2 tbsp dry red wine
• 1/2 tsp porcini mushroom powder
• 1 tsp crushed peppercorns

Steps for Making the Seitan Beef

1. Preheat your oven to 180C conventional (if your oven is known to run hotter than an average oven, reduce to 170C).
2. In a large bowl, sift together your dry ingredients.
3. In another bowl, add the wet ingredients together. Mix well.
4. Create a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients and mix carefully and thoroughly. Ensure all of the dry ingredients are incorporated in. Let it sit in the bowl for 10-12 minutes—this allows the gluten to develop and as much liquid to be absorbed as possible.
5. Meanwhile, prepare a large sheet of foil longways (refer photos).
6. Place the mixture onto the foil and shape into a square form that’s approximately 2.5-3cm high.
7. Wrap the foil tightly around the seitan beef, scrunching up the ends tightly. You’ll need a second piece to ensure it is wrapped tightly and can hold under the pressure of expanding in the oven. If you’re unsure, use a third piece.
8. Place in the oven for 2 hours, turning upside down after 1 hour.
9. Once done, remove from the oven and unwrap your second and third layers of foil (you can recycle them for use again later). Cut the ends of the foil off and unwrap completely. Place onto a cooling rack to prevent condensation forming underneath and allow to cool to room temperature.
10. You can now pan fry the seitan beef. Place the pan fry ingredients into a fry pan on high heat ensuring the Nuttelex melts completely. Pan fry the seitan beef for approximately 1 minute per side ensuring you tilt the fry pan back and forth so the liquid is distributed well. Once done, transfer back to the cooling rack.
11. Allow to completely cool to room temperature and store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 12-14 days. The seitan beef ends up with a better texture after being in the fridge over night. Slice as required.

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