The Best Damn Seitan I've Ever Had, Period! Vegan Filet Mignon, Peeps!

I really envy those vegan Jedi masters who can say that they have absolutely no craving for meat, or those who can honestly say the smell of meat cooking grosses them out. Two and a half years in, I still haven't reached that stage yet. Maybe in ANOTHER two and a half years.... :0)

(I know that there is a huge faction of vegans out there who try to steer clear of anything that looks like meat, so if you fall into that category, you might want to go and do something else.)

So anyway, I came back from my trip with a fire in my belly and get into the kitchen to create. I made it my mission this past weekend to replicate something I saw on my trip to Orlando- Filet Mignon.

I wouldn't have thunk it, but Orlando seems to be All. About. The Meat. Our hotel city guide listed steakhouse after steakhouse after (yawn) steakhouse. And at out final banquet, the rest of the folks at our table were served filet mignon, which I had to admit looked very pretty whilst plated. As a gal who often is in the unenviable position of cooking vegan food for die-hard carnivores, a vegan filet mignon sounded damn appealing.

I set out to make a version of Seitan Filet Mignon that would replicate as close as possible the experience of sitting down to a really primo steak meal. Something that would be special enough to serve when company came to visit, something good enough to serve to a skeptical omnivore who thinks vegan food is bland and tastes like shit. (I happen to know a few of those, unfortunately...)

While I was off in Orlando, a nice guy named Jason commented that it was hard to make seitan anything but "smooshy and nasty", and I agree that seitan can certainly turn out like that, if you aren't careful. I assembled this recipe with great care, thinking hard about what each and every ingredient brings to the table, and I happen to think I got it spot-on. I made two batches to test two different cooking methods, and this was the best. Rest assured, this exact combination of ingrediants and method result in seitan you'll want to go to bed with and make sweet, passionate love to. (If you're into that sort of thing....)

Seitan “Filet Mignon” au Jus

In a blender, mix the following ingredients:

½ of a 12 oz box of firm silken tofu
¾ cup cold water
1½ tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp oil
1 1/2 tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos (use Soya sauce if you don’t have any)
½ tbsp steak sauce
1 tsp Vegan Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp Italian Seasoning
¼ tsp sage
1 tbsp Red Star Nutritional Yeast
2 tbsp beef-style bouillon (I use Nutri-Max from the Superstore)
Blend until smooth.

In a large bowl, add:
1 ½ Tbsp cornmeal
1 ½ cups vital wheat gluten

Pour in the tofu mixture and mix well. As you mix, you will add about ½ cup more wheat gluten. Form into a firm ball, kneading for about five minutes. Be careful only to add enough gluten to make a workable, not too sticky ball. If you add even more gluten, the dough will get harder and harder, and more difficult to work with.

Cover and let sit at least one hour.

Dust a clean surface with a little more gluten flour, and roll out the dough to about two inches thick. Using a biscuit cutter, cut into about five “steaks”.

In a large flat-bottomed pot, add the following:

3 cups cold water
3 tbsp beef-style bouillon
1 ½ tbsp oil
2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp Soya sauce
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder or garlic salt
½ tsp onion powder (optional)

Place the steaks in the cold liquid. Cover the pot. On medium heat, slowly bring the liquid to a boil, and immediately lower the temperature until the liquid is just simmering.

Watch in the beginning, as the steaks may want to stick to the bottom of the pot. Simmer for about seventy-five minutes, turning the steaks about every ten minutes.

When done, remove the steaks from the liquid, reserving the liquid for later. (This is precious stuff...) Allow the steaks to cool for ten minutes, and then place them in a sealed container. (You don’t want them to dry out.)If serving the same day, just leave them on the counter until mealtime. Ten minutes before eating place them back in the pot with the reserved “jus” and simmer again just long enough to heat. Serve with a spoonful of the “jus” on top.

I served this meal with twice-baked potatoes using Tofutti sour cream, soy cheddar and crumbled veggie bacon. Every last bite of this seitan got snarfed up, and The Boy, (who generally doesn't have much to say about my food), proclaimed this to be my best meal ever. Hey, if that's what the kid says, you know it must be true.

Bon Appetit!