How To Make Homemade Wheat Gluten Steaks (Seitan)

Also: Seitan, Wheatballs, Wheat Meat, Gluten Meat

As far as texture is concerned, this is the best meat substitute recipe we've found yet, and a good alternative to tofu and tempeh... It's quite expensive to buy pre-made gluten in the store, but incredibly cost effective to make your own. The "steaks" will freeze indefinitely, so you'll have a good supply after making this recipe.

Broth:
1/3 cup tamari
2 T rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 cups onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 cups chinese celery, chopped (or 2 cups celery leaves, chopped)
8 cups water
1 tsp. ginger, minced
2 tsp. browning seasoning
2" piece of kombu
2 tsp. marmite yeast extract (optional)

Dough:
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp tamari
3 T chickpea flour
2 T nutritional yeast
1/2 tbsp dried shiitake mushroom, ground to a powder
1 cup vital gluten flour

Combine broth ingredients in an oven-safe pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes. Allow broth to cool.

Meanwhile, combine all dry ingredients for the dough mixture. Place the wet ingredients in a bowl and slowly work in the dry ingredients with a fork until you end up with a rubbery ball of dough. Fold the dough over itself again and again (like pulling taffy or mozzarella cheese), and continue to knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it becomes extremely taut and firm. Lest rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325. Roll the dough into a cylindrical log and cut into twelve equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a small "patty". Heat some oil in a pan and, a few at a time, saute each patty until browned on both sides (this tightens the gluten and keeps it from ballooning when cooked in the stock). Place browned patties into the broth (make sure the broth has completely cooled, you need to heat the gluten slowly to avoid the aforementioned "ballooning") and place in oven for 4 hours, occasionally turning the steaks over in the broth. They should at least double in size during the cooking process. When done, remove steaks from broth and use immediately or freeze. Reserve broth for other uses.

source: How To Make Homemade Wheat Gluten Steaks (Seitan)