We love taking old favorite recipes and making them vegan. One recipe that Gary’s been wanting to recreate, vegan-style, is the Italian classic Osso Buco (translated from Italian literally means “bone hole”) like the dish he loved so much at Harry’s Bar in Venice. Here is the recipe, salty and chewy, right down to the “bone.” Our secret ingredient, for this chewy, tasty “bone” is parsley root. Serve with Gremolata, Braised Vegetables and Risotto Veganese.
Braised Seitan Chops
4 tablespoons vegan butter (olive oil can be substituted or a mixture of of both)
1 ½ cups onions (finely chopped)
½ cup celery (finely chopped)
½ cup carrots (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon garlic (finely chopped)
6 seitan chops— cut ¾ to 1 inch thick from the seitan roast (recipe below) and tied with kitchen string around the circumference.
salt and pepper to taste
flour
½ cup of olive oil
1 cup of dry white wine
¾ cup vegetable stock (recipe below or use ready-made)
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups drained whole tomatoes (save the juice for another use)
6 parsley sprigs
2 bay leaves
Use a dutch oven or an oven proof/stove top proof casserole with a tight fitting lid large enough to hold six seitan chops (about 4 inches in diameter by 1 inch thick) lying side by side in a single layer.
Over medium heat melt the butter in the casserole dish.
Saute the onions, carrots, celery and garlic until soft.
Add the white wine, tomatoes, basil, thyme, parsley sprigs, and bay leaves.
Bring the braising mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer with the lid removed.
While the braising mixture is simmering, preheat oven to 350oF.
Brush the seitan “chops” with about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
Dredge the “chops” in flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper (optional).
Dust off any residual flour and set the chops aside on a plate.
Heat a heavy frying pan.
Add the remaining half cup of olive oil and heat until a haze forms on the oil.
Brown the chops on both sides (adding more olive oil if needed).
Add the chops to the simmering braising mixture (make sure the chops are coated but not drowning in the braising mixture).
Cover the casserole with the lid.
Place the casserole in the oven.
Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Serve the chops on a bed of the braising mixture sprinkled with a little of the Gremolata (recipe below) and a side of our Risotto Veganese.
Dry Ingredients
2 cups vital wheat gluten flour (1 box)
¼ cup millet flour
¼ cup nutritional yeast
Spices (all dry spices should be ground in a spice mill after measuring)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons granulated onion
2 teaspoons dried ground rosemary
2 teaspoons dried ground Herbes de Provence
2 teaspoons ground fennel seed
1 teaspoon ground smokey paprika (if you like it hot use chipotle paprika)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Wet Ingredients
1 cup vegetable stock (use linked recipe or use ready-made)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoon Braggs Liquid Aminos
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Cheese cloth (one double thick 24-inch by 16-inch piece)
5 – 6-inch pieces of string
1 “Bone” — 8-10 inch white root vegetable, cut to the length of the roast with about a half inch revealed on both sides until wrapped and tied. (NOTE: Regarding the “bone”, we used a parsley root, which is very tough and holds up well to the boiling and the braising. If unavailable use a parsnip or a daikon radish. A peeled stalk of sugar cane might even work but we haven’t tried it yet. If you do tell us how you like the results).
1 gallon water (to boil loaf)
Seitan Roast Preparation
In a large pot, bring 1 gallon of water to a simmer.
In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten with all the dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients.
Combine wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Knead for approximately five minutes until you have a wet dough and are able to form. It should feel very spongy but not sticky.
Form into a 8-10 inch round roast type loaf and insert the root vegetable down the middle. You may need more than one root vegetable if not long enough, if so, insert pointed end on either side; it’s okay if they overlap and meet in the middle
Place vegan roast beef loaf on cheese cloth and roll up like a rolled roast (not too tight). Tie each end with a piece of kitchen string first, and then tie a string in the middle and then tie in the middle of either side. You should have five ties evenly spaced, it should look like a traditional tied roast.
Place the roast in simmering water, cover, and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Take roast out of liquid and remove cheese cloth.
Slice the roast in 1 inch chops; thinner if you prefer.
Tie the chops with kitchen string around the perimeter and then across the root vegetable so it does not fall out during sautéing and braising.
Remove the string after braising and before serving.
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
In a small jar, mix together lemon peel, garlic and parsley. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.