So I guess seitan is a trend now, huh? Us vegans have been on this for decades and East Asians were on it for centuries before ‘veganism’ was even a word. But the internet gods have spoken and I am glad that for once, they’ve chosen to put a plant-based food in the spotlight.
My go-to method for preparing seitan involves starting with vital wheat gluten, throwing in my spices and liquid of choice, and steaming the “dough” in my Instant Pot for 15 minutes or so. I’ve shared a tutorial on how to make seitan “chicken” from vital wheat gluten, which you can view here.
However, the seitan that’s been taking social media by storm involves using plain flour (instead of vital wheat gluten) and washing the dough several times until the starches separate from it, leaving a stretchy mass of protein (gluten) that you can flavor and cook as you see fit. It’s definitely more time consuming (and labor intensive) than my go-to method but it’s a great option for those who may not have access to vital wheat gluten.
Most of the washed flour recipes I’ve seen going around around are for a vegan chicken substitute so I thought I’d spice things up a bit and make pulled “pork” instead! It’s smoky, a little spicy, a little sweet, and has got a texture that will absolutely blow your mind!
Vegan Pulled Pork from Seitan (Washed Flour Method!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain flour (at least 11% protein content)
- 2/3 cup water, plus more to knead
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp ketchup
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tsp neutral oil
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup vegan barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Empty flour into a large, clean bowl. Gradually add water and mix until a dough begins to form. Knead until smooth and cover for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, cover the dough completely with lukewarm water and begin to knead it. It will loosen up and begin to change texture as the starch is rinsed out. Drain and replace the water as it turns cloudy; you may have to do this 3 - 4 times before it runs fairly clear.* At this point, the dough should be elastic.
- After the final rinse, let the dough rest in a colander for half an hour to drain out any remaining starch water.
- Prepare the marinade. Whisk together cumin, paprika, red chili flakes, minced garlic, ketchup, soy sauce, and liquid smoke.
- Brush marinade over the dough. Stretch, twist, and tie into a knot. Cover and let rest for at least 2 hours.
- Once the dough has marinated for the desired amount of time, prepare to cook it. Heat about a teaspoon of neutral oil in a large sauce pan and fry on medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side, or until crispy and golden brown.
- Cover with vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
- Drain the broth and transfer seitan to a clean dish. Use a fork to shred it.
- Add barbecue sauce and mix until evenly coated. Serve immediately or store in the fridge and reheat as needed.
Notes:
Starch Water: You can reuse the water left over from Step 2 for other recipes, like this Starch Water Bacon (recipe by Seitan Society).
