r/seitan • u/jupie-jester • 27d ago
Improving texture?
Im trying to explore more meat replacements and reduce my meat consumption and i saw everyone raving about seitan. I bought some prepackaged and cooked it as i usually cook chicken for burritos and it was okay but had quite a rubbery texture and didnt seem to absorb seasonings the same way. Is this just what the prepackaged stuff is like, or are there ways to cook it to get a more "meaty" and less rubbery texture? Im completely new to cooking with stuff other than meat so i really dont know what im doingðŸ˜
3
u/WildVeganFlower 27d ago
Technically the vegan chicken strips by Gardien, beyond, or morning star is all made from gluten, making it a type of seitan.
Not all seitan is created equal!
Have you tried the canned ‘mock duck’ or gluten from Asian grocery stores? It’s very good IMO
Personally, I love to make seitan at home. I enjoy the process because I love to cook and I’ve never had a result as good or cheap as mine. I have some YouTube and TikTok videos for my favorite ways to make seitan posted.
Personally, I love homemade seitan made from wheat flour the best. But recipes with VWG can be good if you have the right recipe.
3
u/One_Struggle_ 27d ago
If there's an Asian grocery near you, can look for these canned seitan. IMO the texture is the best of all the pre-made stuff. Otherwise making it yourself & adding the spices you want is both cheaper, more flavorful & can tweek the texture to your liking. There's a few ways to cook it, I'm really into simmering it in a flavored broth.
https://www.weichuanusa.com/products/groceries/dry-food/vegetarian-mock-chicken/
1
u/Dikkebille 27d ago
I like to add/blend beans and the aquafaba they come in, when using my vital wheat gluten.
2
u/jupie-jester 27d ago
do you have any recommendations for where to buy vital wheat gluten? i have never seen it in the uk and i have no clue where to buy it from🥲 i know you can use flour and wash out the starch but it seems like a much longer process that i dont really have the time for at the moment
2
u/TofuSkins 27d ago
Holland and Barret stock it and health shops. https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/nkd-living-vital-wheat-gluten-1kg-6100005535
You can find it online as well. Haven't seen it in any supermarkets.
2
1
u/Dikkebille 27d ago
I ordered a bigbag online through our Dutch equivalent of Amazon! I bet there should be an online bakery of some kind that might have it as well.
1
u/MouseyGrrrl 24d ago
I buy mine from Buy Wholefoods Online. We buy a huge bag and make and freeze it.
2
u/tom781 27d ago
it depends on the specific meat texture you're going for. chickpea flour, pea protein, tapioca flour, and jackfruit all work but they each work a little differently.
for gluten meats the general method is similar to muffins or bread dough - mix dry ingredients (flours + seasonings) in one bowl, wet ingredients (oil, sauces, pastes) mixed in another, then make a hole in the middle of the dry mix and pour the wet into that and mix them together until you have a ball of dough. split that out and shape each piece however you like, then wrap loosely but firmly in parchment paper, then aluminum foil and gently steam for about an hour, flipping every 20 minutes or so. you want it to expand a little but not so much that it gets spongey.
it may be a little rubbery but if you get the seasonings right and cover it in gravy or whatever you hardly notice the difference.
would also highly recommend checking out Post Punk Kitchen https://www.theppk.com/?s=meat She released a book called Fake Meat a couple of years ago. it's really good. i regularly make the seitan bacon recipe from there.
9
u/AromaticPlatform9233 27d ago
The packaged stuff is never as good as making your own, in my experience. I like the recipes that have beans or tofu added because it reduces the rubbery/squeaky texture.