Cast Iron Seitan Steak & Onions

Serves 2 to 4

This seitan steak is Brooklyn steakhouse energy, at home, but make it vegan. If you’re from Brooklyn (and you’re probably not even though you say you are) then you celebrate with steak. Everyone knows this from every movie. Cavernous steakhouses that date back to the last, last century lurking all over the city, tucked under bridges or beside a forgotten waterway, with their historical plaques, creaky wood floors, and signed Frank Sinatra portraits on the wall. This seitan steak recipe captures all of that.

The method is a sear-braise combo that gets you maximum juiciness. You sear the seitan steaks in a screaming hot cast iron pan, pull them out, then build a rich au jus right in the same pan with onions, garlic, miso, and red wine. The steaks go back in to cook through in all that flavor. The end result is some of the best homemade seitan I have ever made. Seared and smoky, firm but tender, and totally juicy. Plus it comes with its own sauce that’s perfect for slathering.

This vegan steak is a great recipe for St. Patrick’s Day, or any time you want to feel like you’re at a Brooklyn steakhouse without leaving your apartment. Check out serving suggestions below! The recipe makes two big steaks but I really can’t see one person eating a full steak like this, so I don’t know, prove me wrong. Aesthetically I wanted it to be this big, but realistically, it serves four.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS FOR SEITAN STEAK:

Steak and potatoes: The classic. Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, or crinkle-cut fries (Steak Frites, yes!). Spoon the au jus over everything. Don’t forget the broccoli to go along with it.

Vegan steak salad: Slice the steak thin on a bias and lay it over mixed greens with cherry tomatoes, shaved red onion, and a simple vinaigrette. The warm steak against the cold greens is really nice.

Steak sandwich: Pile sliced steak and the onions onto a crusty roll. Spoon some of the au jus over the top. Add horseradish cream or mustard if you want to get fancy.

Over pasta: Slice the steak and toss it with the au jus and onions over wide noodles like pappardelle. A little fresh parsley on top.

St. Patrick’s Day dinner: Serve with colcannon or champ, braised cabbage, and a pint of stout. This is the vegan steakhouse St. Paddy’s dinner to rule them all.

Steak and eggs brunch: Slice it up and serve alongside a tofu scramble and some roasted potatoes for a diner-style weekend plate.

TIPS FOR PERFECT VEGAN STEAK:

Knead it like you mean it. The texture of your steak depends on how much you work the dough. Three minutes of real kneading gets you that stretchy, fibrous quality. If it comes out more like meatloaf, you probably didn’t knead long enough.

Let it rest. After you shape the steaks, let them sit for about 10 minutes before rolling again. The gluten relaxes and you’ll get a smoother surface, which is what you want for a good sear.

Get the pan screaming hot. A drop of water should evaporate on contact. If the pan isn’t hot enough, the steaks will stick instead of sear. Cast iron is non-negotiable here.

Watch your broth. The sauce reduces a lot, so if your broth is salty, the end result will be too salty. Go light if you’re using bouillon. You can always add more salt at the end but you can’t take it away.

SEITAN STEAK FAQ:

Can I make these ahead of time? Yes. Make the steaks and sauce, let everything cool, and store together in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove, spooning sauce over the steaks as they warm through. They’re great the next day.

Can I store the steaks in the gravy? Yes, that’s actually the best way to store them. The steaks absorb more flavor as they sit and stay moist. Just reheat everything together.

Can I freeze these? You can freeze the steaks in the sauce for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove. The texture holds up pretty well.

The texture came out more like meatloaf than steak. What went wrong? Probably not enough kneading. You want the dough to be very stretchy and springy before you shape it. Also check your vital wheat gluten brand. Not all VWG has the same protein content, which affects the texture. Bob’s Red Mill is a reliable one.

Do I need beet powder? It’s mostly for color. Without it, your steaks will look more grey-brown than steak-red. It doesn’t add much flavor in this quantity. Some people have used blended cooked beets with the liquid reduced accordingly, which also works.

What can I use instead of red wine? You can use more vegetable broth with a splash of red wine vinegar for acidity. It won’t have quite the same depth but it’ll still be good.

Can I use tamari or soy sauce instead of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos? You can, but the Bragg’s adds a nuance that the others don’t quite have. It gives it almost a steak sauce flavor that really works here. Worth picking up a bottle if you don’t have one.

How many does this serve? The recipe makes two big steaks but it realistically serves four. They’re large and rich. Slice them up and everyone gets plenty, especially with sides.

Cast Iron Seitan Steak & Onions

Isa Chandra

Seitan steaks seared in cast iron and braised in a red wine au jus with onions, garlic, and miso. Seared and smoky, firm but tender, and totally juicy. Serves four with sides.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course entree, Main Course

Cuisine American, irish

Ingredients

  

For the Steaks

• 1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
• 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons beet powder
• 2 teaspoons lemon pepper salt free
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon mild mustard powder
• 2/3 cup water at room temp
• 3 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Everything else:

• Olive oil for cooking
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons red miso
• 3 bay leaves
• Fresh black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 cups veggie broth
• Fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

 

• In a large mixing bowl, combine wheat gluten flour, beet powder, nutritional yeast, lemon pepper, onion powder and mustard powder. Make a well in the center.
• In a small bowl, mix together water, aminos, tomato paste, olive oil and vinegar until the tomato paste is incorporated.
• Add wet ingredients to the well and mix until a lumpy ball forms. It will appear a bit dry. Now, use your hands (with gloves if you have them) to knead the mixture until all ingredients are incorporated and there are no dry spots. If it’s very cold in the kitchen, you may have a harder time kneading. Moisten your hands with warm water and keep going, it should take about 3 minutes and appear very stretchy.
• Divide the ball in half with a knife. Again, if it’s cold, the seitan might spring back more so this process will take a big longer. On a large cutting board, flatten the dough into a kidney shape that is roughly 3/4 inch thick and 8 inches in length. Use a rolling pin to roll, flatten and form. Let the first one rest while you do the second one.
• Let both doughs rest about 10 minutes, for the gluten to relax a bit, then repeat the rolling process. Again, it’s more resistant if your kitchen is very cold so you might need to let it rest one more time.
• As the steaks rest the surfaces will get a little smoother, which if what you want for the sear and appearance.
• Preheat the cast iron grill over medium high. It should be very hot and water should immediately evaporate. This is important because you want the steak to hiss immediately so that is sears and does not stick.
• Pour in a thin layer of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the steaks and sear until dark brown, but not burnt, about a minute and a half per side. Use a thin metal spatula to flip steaks. Once they are seared, lower the heat to medium and let them cook until somewhat firm, about 10 more minutes, flipping and pressing down on them with the spatula.
• Now we are going to remove the steaks and cook the sauce in that same pan. Place steaks on a plate.
• Turn heat up to medium high. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan. Add onions and a small pinch of salt and sear the onions for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and a little more oil if needed and cook for about 2 more minutes, stirring often.
• Add the wine and stir to deglaze and reduce, about 3 minutes. Mix in the miso to dissolve. Add bay leaves, a healthy dose of fresh black pepper (1/2 teaspoon or so), thyme and veggie broth. Let the broth warm, reduce heat to medium.
• Once warm, return the steaks to the brothy pan and submerge, spooning broth and onions over. Cover the pan and let cook for about 30 minutes. The broth should be simmering this whole time, but not boiling too rapidly.
• OK we’re almost done! Remove the cover and flip the steaks. Turn the heat up and let sauce reduce for about 15 minutes uncovered. The broth will get really boily and active. Spoon sauce over the steaks while they cook. The steaks should no longer appear submerged and the sauce should be thickened a bit and really flavorful. Taste for salt.
• Let sit for 10 minutes or so before serving. Remove bay leaves and garnish with parsley.

Keyword comfort food, Fake Meat, Saint Patrick’s Day, Seitan

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