Rosemary Red Wine Marinated Seitan Steaks with Dijon Pan Sauce
Firm seitan steaks soak up a French-style marinade of dry red wine, Dijon, shallot, garlic and fresh rosemary, then get a deep golden sear in a hot skillet. The leftover marinade is reduced into a glossy pan sauce, so nothing goes to waste.
- Prep
- 17 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Wait
- 2 hr 5 min
- Total
- 2 hr 40 min
- Makes
- 4 seitan steaks with about ⅓ cup (80 ml) pan sauce
Steps
Before you start
- Plan for at least 2 hours of marinating time. Overnight (up to 12 hours) gives the deepest flavor.
- Use a dry red wine you would happily drink, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Côtes du Rhône. Check the label if you need the wine to be vegan, as some wines are fined with animal products.
- Use low-sodium soy sauce. The marinade is reduced into a sauce, so regular soy sauce can make it too salty.
- Use firm, dense seitan that holds its shape when sliced. Soft or spongy seitan will fall apart in the pan.
Cut the seitan
- Slice the seitan into 4 even steaks, each about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick and roughly 5 oz (150 g).
- Pat all sides dry with paper towels.
- Use a fork to prick each steak 8 to 10 times on both sides, going about halfway through, so the marinade can soak in.
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Ready when: Steaks are an even thickness and the surface is dry and pricked all over.
Tip: Even thickness matters. Thin edges will scorch while the center of a thick steak is still pale.
Whisk the marinade
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the red wine, Dijon mustard, minced shallot, minced garlic, chopped rosemary, soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup and black pepper.
- Whisk for about 30 seconds until the mustard has fully dissolved and the liquid looks slightly cloudy and evenly mixed.
- Do not add salt, because the soy sauce already seasons it.
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Ready when: No clumps of mustard remain and the shallot and rosemary are evenly suspended.
Tip: Mince the shallot and garlic very finely so they cling to the steaks and melt into the sauce later.
Marinate the steaks
- Arrange the steaks in a single layer in a shallow non-reactive dish, such as glass or ceramic.
- Pour the marinade over them and turn each steak once so both sides are coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, turning the steaks once halfway through.
- For stronger flavor, marinate up to 12 hours.
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Ready when: Steaks look darker, with a reddish-purple tint, and the marinade has soaked in so the steaks feel slightly heavier.
Tip: Avoid aluminum dishes. Wine reacts with the metal and gives a metallic taste.
Drain and dry
- Lift the steaks out of the dish and set them on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Pour the marinade, with the shallot and rosemary bits, into a small bowl and set it aside for the sauce.
- Blot the tops and bottoms of the steaks firmly with more paper towels until the surface feels tacky rather than wet.
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Ready when: Surfaces are blotted dry with no liquid dripping.
Tip: Wet seitan steams instead of browning. Take the time to blot well for a proper crust.
Sear the steaks
- Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
- Add the neutral oil and swirl to coat.
- When the oil shimmers and flows easily like water, lay the steaks in the pan with space between them.
- Cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer the steaks to a plate.
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Ready when: Both sides are deep mahogany brown with crisp, slightly darkened edges and the steaks release easily from the pan.
Tip: If the pan smokes heavily or the sugar in the leftover marinade on the steaks turns black, lower the heat to medium.
Reduce the sauce
- Reduce the heat to medium and carefully pour the reserved marinade into the same skillet, because it will bubble and spit.
- Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Bring to a steady boil and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until the liquid has reduced by about two-thirds to roughly ⅓ cup (80 ml).
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Ready when: The sauce is syrupy and coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn with a finger stays clear for a second or two.
Tip: The wine smell should turn mellow and sweet. If it still smells sharply of alcohol, keep reducing.
Finish and glaze
- Take the pan off the heat.
- Add the cold vegan butter one piece at a time, swirling the pan until each piece melts and the sauce turns glossy.
- Taste and add a small pinch of salt only if needed.
- Return the steaks and any juices to the pan and turn them in the sauce for about 1 minute over low heat until evenly glazed.
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Ready when: The sauce is glossy and thick enough to cling to the steaks without pooling.
Tip: Adding the butter off the heat keeps the sauce from separating.
Rest and serve
- Let the steaks rest in the pan for 5 minutes so the glaze sets and the surface firms up.
- Slice against the grain if you like, or serve whole.
- Spoon the remaining sauce over the top.
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Ready when: The sauce has tightened into a sticky glaze on the steaks.
Tip: Serve with mashed potatoes, roasted green beans or crusty bread to catch the sauce.
Good to know
Tips
- Prick the seitan with a fork before marinating. Dense seitan is tightly textured and takes up flavor much better when pierced.
- A well-dried surface and a properly hot pan are the keys to a crisp brown crust. Don't crowd the pan, and cook in two batches if your skillet is smaller than 12 inches.
- Seitan brands vary in saltiness. Taste the sauce before adding any salt.
- For extra rosemary flavor, add a whole sprig to the pan while reducing the sauce and remove it before serving.
Make ahead
"The marinade can be whisked and refrigerated in a sealed jar for up to 2 days before using. The steaks can marinate in the fridge for up to 12 hours. Cooked steaks and sauce can be made a day ahead and reheated."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: store the cooked steaks with their sauce in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezer: freeze for up to 2 months, with the sauce, in a freezer-safe container, and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a covered skillet over medium-low heat for 5 to 8 minutes with a splash of water or wine, turning once, until hot throughout."
Substitutions
- dry red wine → Vegetable stock plus 1 tbsp red wine vinegar. Use ¾ cup (180 ml) stock with 1 tbsp vinegar for an alcohol-free version. The flavor will be less deep and fruity.
- fresh rosemary leaves → Fresh thyme leaves. Use the same amount. Dried rosemary also works at 2 tsp, crumbled.
- large shallot → Yellow onion. Use ¼ cup (40 g) very finely minced onion. The flavor will be a little sharper.
- maple syrup → Light brown sugar or agave syrup. Use 1 tbsp (about 12 g) brown sugar, or the same amount of agave.
