Vegan Seitan Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
This vegan seitan char siu looks and tastes as close to Chinese BBQ pork as it can get. Meaty, savoury, sweet and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 90 g vital wheat gluten
- 50 g soft tofu
- ½ tsp baking powder
Seasonings
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp taucu (Chinese fermented bean curd)
- ½ tsp liquid sweetener
- ¼ tsp five spice powder
- water
Glaze
- 1 tsp neutral oil
- ½ tsp liquid sweetener
- 1 tsp fermented red bean curd liquid optional*
Instructions
- Prepare your steamer. In a measuring cup, combine all the seasonings and enough water to make ¼ cup of liquid.
- In a medium bowl, combine vital wheat gluten, baking powder, soft tofu and seasoning liquid. Incorporate everything together with your hands and knead for 3-4 minutes.
- Slice the dough into 3 equal logs and wrap in parchment paper secured with kitchen twine OR aluminum foil. This prevents the seitan from expanding too much and becoming spongey. Steam for 25 minutes then let cool slightly.
- In a small pan, heat up the glaze. Once it bubbles, add the seitan and cook on each side until slightly charred.
- Transfer to a clean chopping board and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- I use fermented red bean curd liquid to colour my char siu, but you can omit it.
- Taucu is a Chinese fermented bean curd paste, similar to miso, but packs more of a savoury punch. If using miso, add more soy sauce or a bit of MSG.
- Aluminum foil prevents the seitan from expanding too much and becoming spongey. You can also use parchment paper secured with string.
- The char siu settles into a dense, meatier texture while resting, so don't rush it. It's worth the wait!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!