Monday, February 22, 2010

Making Faux Meat with Wheat Gluten - The Basic Recipe

I always thought that making fake meat was difficult. It's not, but it does take time to boil. Here is a very simple recipe that will start you on your way to making your own. Since the kind in the freezer section of most grocery stores is now up to about four dollars for ten ounces, the homemade kind is really cheap, too!

Basic Recipe - for three or four servings. Doubles or triples easily.

1/2 cup cool water
1/2 cup wheat gluten (you can find this in bags or boxes in the natural foods section, or in bulk at places like Whole Foods.)

Mix these thoroughly, then knead for about three minutes until fairly smooth. Cut into pieces that are very small versions of the shape that you want - they will expand a lot during cooking.

In a dutch oven, cover the pieces with water. Add:

2 vegetable or not-chicken or beef bullion cubes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning or other seasoning mix


Bring to a boil and simmer for about two hours, stirring frequently. Then dip in seasoned flour and fry or use in a recipe that calls for chicken or meat.

1 comment: