Trust me, this is an absolute game changer! A crowd-pleaser that never disappoints. It is simple- flavours and textures are just hitting the right spot. A mind-blowing combination of smokiness, sweetness, spice, chewiness and stickiness. You don’t even have to like the ‘real’ thing to enjoy this smoky seitan ribs, frankly, I never aim to recreate true meat flavours as I hardly remember what they taste like. The rich, deep, round umami- that’s what our taste buds often crave. The famous fifth flavour is vastly present in meat, so if our diet as a kid and young adult was full of it, you naturally recognise it. These ribs are really easy to make and addictive, so be sure to cook plenty!
Vital gluten wheat is a very good source of plant protein, and seitan is really filling. I like to pair it with loads of fresh vegetables for a good balance. Sometimes it may seem almost too heavy, especially when it is deep-fried and coated in an additional layer of flour. So that’s why I make my own, I bake it, and I choose how to serve it later. As tempting as it may be, I avoid vegan fast food, it just makes me so sleepy and lethargic. But I do love food that fills me up and satisfy me. So I strongly encourage you to make those smokey seitan ribs, and create your healthy fake out! Watch the video
You can use those smoky seitan ribs in so many ways
- Cut into smaller pieces as a filling to bao style buns
- Marinate it in rice vinegar, chilli and serve over the bowl of sushi rice
- Refry them with more BBQ sauce
- Perfect on the BBQ
- Ideal leftover sandwich filler
Insane home-made BBQ sauce
Trust me, it is worth it. It will take you less than 5 minutes to make, and will change your life. Problem with shop-bought BBQ sauce? Sugar, of course, and all unnecessary additives. This sauce will store in a fridge for weeks if it lasts that long, so I like to make a big jar and always have it handy. You will be surprised how easy it is to make and how much it reminds you of the ‘real thing. If you are short on time, there is nothing wrong with using your favourite brand, your smokey seitan ribs will be soaking up its flavour, so make sure it is a good one!
Problems with shop-bought seitan
Price. Additives. Weird ingredients. The more processed food is, the better it may taste. And, the more processed food is, the worst it is for our body. Do you see the issue here? We eat more of something that is not good for us because it tastes good. And we pay for it big bucks. So, how about starting new habits, and making our own food, where possible?
I was brought up in a culture of making pretty much everything from scratch, partially because there was no other choice, partially because my mum taught me that. I remember coming over to the UK, my first trip to TESCO, seeing all the food that you can eat pretty much straight away. Pasta, steaks, cakes, salads, peeled potatoes, chopped onions…I was, let’s say, in shock. It took me ages to get used to this view, and I think I had my first ready meal after years of living in England. To this day, I rarely buy food that only requires a microwave, and it’s always a bit of a treat. And that’s because of habits that developed earlier. But it’s never too late, we create new rituals daily. So, let’s cook again.
Smoky seitan ribs tips
Make sure to watch this video for a close up on a texture. I also share a lot of tips and give you options and substitutes, so you can be creative in the kitchen. If you are just starting your seitan journey, my YouTube seitan series is just for you. In each video, I explore a bit more and make you feel easy about it. There are essentially no more than 5 rules when making seitan, so you can’t go wrong really!
- Wet ingredients to create a slurry- it will form a flavour base
- Adding vital gluten wheat in stages- it is always easier to add rather than make it softer again
- The more gluten, the tougher end product
- Seitan doubles in size!
- Seitan needs either poaching/roasting/baking first and then it can be refried/reheated
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