The Bubbo wrote:
> I got a fake meat recipe from a friend years ago, I think he developed it
> himself. Over the years I've modified it here and there. It's very much like
> the seitan you get in the store, though I have never been able to get that
> meat like shreddiness. The beauty of this recipe is that you can season it any
> way you want and then it's infused with flavor before you use it. Unseasoned
> is rather bland and it does not really absorb much in marinades.
>
> It is important to stick to the liquid/gluten amounts, if this gets too wet it
> does not cook up correctly. If you halve the recipe, use 2/3 cup water.
>
> Start with
> 2 cups wheat gluten
> 1 1/4 cups water or stock
> (don't mix yet!)
> add 3 tbl liquid flavoring, for an asian final result, add soy sauce, for
> greek, add lemon juice, for mexican the juice from salsa, you can also try red
> wine or white wine or any combination
> 2 tsp oil (sesame, olive, peanut, whatever)
> 3 tsp dry seasonings like garlic, 5 spice powder, Penzey's Greek seasoning is
> particularly good, chili powder, italian herbs, or any other spices you might
> like.
>
> mix together with fork until everything is incorporated and you have a
> seasoned brain in your bowl. Let this rest for 5 minutes or so. Knead 5 times.
> DO NOT OVER KNEAD!!! It's really tempting, believe me. Just don't. You'll end
> up with a tough end result.
>
> Let it rest again for 15 minutes.
>
> Whip up a simmering liquid. You need about 5 cups or so. Use broth, water, add
> soy sauce or a little wine or garlic or ginger or whatever strikes your fancy.
> I sometimes use a little seaweed in vegetable broth. Bring this to a boil.
>
> Take your gluten ball and slice it into about 6-8 pieces and stretch them a
> bit. Add them one at a time to the broth and reduce the heat to a bare simmer.
> Simmer for 45 minutes. You have to check it regularly, it floats and will need
> to be shoved around so all the pieces have time in the broth. Your pieces will
> almost double in size.
>
> take them out, let them cool.
>
> Slice it up and use it in stir fries, run it through a meat grinder for
> crumbles, use it in fajitas, spaghetti sauce, I've even made potstickers with
> it.
>
> My favorite is to make it with lemon juice, greek seasoning and garlic. I
> slice it thin and pan fry it until the edges are crispy and serve on pita with
> gyros fixings.
>
> It's incredibly versatile stuff. Seal it well and freeze it.
>
> Keep in mind that the fake meat is already cooked, you just need to heat it
> through, if you overheat it you run the risk of rubbery chewiness. Generally,
> I halve the recipe.
>
>
>
Thank you so much for posting this!

patrice