SATAN'S MEDALLIONS...
Think of beef tenderloin so good its a sin,
But could one fake those meat juices within?
Only the devil could make
Wheat gluten into a steak
So 'seitan' is where we will have to begin!
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| Dijonaise Crusted (and non-crusted) "Beef" Tenderloin Medallions |
Unbeknownst to many, (including myself until only a few days ago), tomorrow marks "World Vegetarian Day", (established by the North American Vegetarian Society in 1977 would you believe!) and leads the way for October as Vegetarian Awareness Month. Just the requisite kick up the backside for me to get this Vegetarian Butcher blog back in motion. And though I have been caught up in various other details of life and living, returning to full time work and the like since my last post over 6 months ago (eek!), my crusade continues. I return to you with tales of my delectable encounter with satan seitan in the form of pseudo 'beef' tenderloin medallions.
Seitan (pronounced SAY-tan), is a funny ol' substance high in protein and low in carbohydrates. (And when I say old, I read that it was originally prepared by Zen Buddhists in China and Japan more than 1000 years ago!) Not as recent a meat substitute as I naively once believed, seitan is used in many Asian dishes for its ability to take on the texture and flavour of meat; a characteristic that initially put me off this food in the form of 'Mock Duck', a seemingly flabby greyish blob with the highly unappetising texture of plucked duck skin. Gag reflexes activated…
But as I began searching for ways to create a juicy beefless beef medallion, (something I vividly recall enjoying in my meat-eating days at a lovely little Italian restaurant in Old Compton Street, Soho many years ago) the only recipe that peaked my interest was this curious vegan dish involving making one's own beef-style seitan, (which I adapted to my non-vegan tastes): http://www.mimiccreme.com/DijonaiseCrustedBeefTenderloinMedallionswithVeganBernaiseSauce.html. After a few half-hearted unsuccessful searches for the necessary ingredients, I impatiently ordered online both the Vital Wheat Gluten and the Better Than Bouillon No Beef Broth, which arrived quite quickly at a substantial cost. Next time I will definitely spend a little more time sourcing the goods!
Although no doubt adding another tasty dimension to the dish, I refrained from preparing the vegan bernaise sauce or the roasted eggplant and garlic smashed potatoes and concentrated on the 'meat' itself, including a 'naked' version (without the dijonaise mixture). Both resulted in an extremely juicy vegetarian tenderloin with a remarkably rich meaty texture and density, the dijonaise adding a slightly more sophisticated touch and flavour. I think the no beef broth paste I made was too strong however and would like to experiment with a slightly more diluted concoction next time, but overall this product has serious promise!
As barbecue season comes to an end, I imagine these no-beef tenderloin medallions cooking over a flaming grill and wonder if they could be made to entice even your most dedicated carnivore, or would that be the work of the devil!
Seitan (pronounced SAY-tan), is a funny ol' substance high in protein and low in carbohydrates. (And when I say old, I read that it was originally prepared by Zen Buddhists in China and Japan more than 1000 years ago!) Not as recent a meat substitute as I naively once believed, seitan is used in many Asian dishes for its ability to take on the texture and flavour of meat; a characteristic that initially put me off this food in the form of 'Mock Duck', a seemingly flabby greyish blob with the highly unappetising texture of plucked duck skin. Gag reflexes activated…
But as I began searching for ways to create a juicy beefless beef medallion, (something I vividly recall enjoying in my meat-eating days at a lovely little Italian restaurant in Old Compton Street, Soho many years ago) the only recipe that peaked my interest was this curious vegan dish involving making one's own beef-style seitan, (which I adapted to my non-vegan tastes): http://www.mimiccreme.com/DijonaiseCrustedBeefTenderloinMedallionswithVeganBernaiseSauce.html. After a few half-hearted unsuccessful searches for the necessary ingredients, I impatiently ordered online both the Vital Wheat Gluten and the Better Than Bouillon No Beef Broth, which arrived quite quickly at a substantial cost. Next time I will definitely spend a little more time sourcing the goods!
Although no doubt adding another tasty dimension to the dish, I refrained from preparing the vegan bernaise sauce or the roasted eggplant and garlic smashed potatoes and concentrated on the 'meat' itself, including a 'naked' version (without the dijonaise mixture). Both resulted in an extremely juicy vegetarian tenderloin with a remarkably rich meaty texture and density, the dijonaise adding a slightly more sophisticated touch and flavour. I think the no beef broth paste I made was too strong however and would like to experiment with a slightly more diluted concoction next time, but overall this product has serious promise!
As barbecue season comes to an end, I imagine these no-beef tenderloin medallions cooking over a flaming grill and wonder if they could be made to entice even your most dedicated carnivore, or would that be the work of the devil!
