Description

A rich and flavourful vegan steak with garlic butter. Perfect for date night at home or a special occasion, but easy enough to make on a regular old day too!

Ingredients

3/4 cups vital wheat gluten (no substitutions. You can get this from Bulk Barn or Amazon)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (again I get this from Bulk Barn or Target)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup canned/cooked brown lentils (*SEE NOTE)
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp ketchup or tomato paste
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oil, divided
1/4 tsp liquid smoke or 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional, but recommended because it adds a really amazing and authentic smoked flavour)
optional: 1 tbsp steak spice to rub before frying. I just buy steak spice in the spice aisle of my local grocery store!

Garlic Butter:

4 tbsp vegan butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped onion, optional
dried or fresh parsley or other herbs, for garnish

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Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, chilli powder, black pepper, salt and onion powder and whisk until combined.
In a blender, add the cooked lentils, water, ketchup, soy sauce, 1 tbsp oil and liquid smoke. Blend until combined, about 30 seconds/1 minute. *See note below if you are using canned lentils.
Pour wet mixture into the dry and mix with a spoon until it comes together in a spongy dough ball. Use your hands to knead it so all the dry mixture is incorporated. Knead a few times on a clean, dry surface until the dough ball is nice and smooth and elastic.
Break into two halves, then use your hands to flatten them into “steak” shapes. Keep in mind they will expand a bit when they cook, so if it seems a bit flat or small, it will be bigger once cooked.
Use the left over 1 tbsp oil to rub the outside of each “steak” so it doesn’t stick to the steamer basket.
Place a steamer basket in a large pot and add several inches of water until it just reaches the basket. I got my steamer basket from my grocery store, here is a link to a similar one. Place the steaks in the steamer basket and turn the heat on high.
Steam for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through. You will want to check the water periodically and add more as needed.
Remove from the steamer basket and set aside to cool slightly. If you wish to use the steak spice, rub some on the outside of each “steak”. This just adds a more authentic flavour!
To a frying pan on medium heat, add the butter, minced garlic and onion (if using) and cook a few minutes until fragrant. Add the steak and fry a few minutes per side, until browned. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired. I also like to serve mine with a side of my favourite BBQ sauce for dipping. Enjoy!

Notes

*IF USING STORE BOUGHT/CANNED LENTILS, ADD 2 tbsp EXTRA WATER. Canned lentils are more dry than ones you cook yourself.

*To easily cook lentils for this recipe, add about 1/4 cup dry brown lentils to a pot with 2-3 cups of water. Boil on high for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are quite soft. Drain. The lentils don’t need to be cooked perfectly or hold their shape for this recipe, since they are getting blended anyway. Cooking your own lentils vs using canned adds more prep time to this recipe, so keep that in mind when planning!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes