Pulled BBQ Seitan Sliders

I had a big piece seitan left over in my fridge from making a double batch, and I had a hankering for some "pulled" seitan... Even though I've never had pulled pork... Lol. My back has been super bad lately and I can't do a whole lot, so I've been thinking up a lot of recipes! I can still cook though, and Jeremy has been nice enough to clean up after me for the most part, so that helps :) I topped each slider with some sriracha sauce, which I think is a must to add a little kick and some contrast in flavor! I made my own buns and BBQ sauce, but you could make this recipe a lot simpler by using your favorite store bought varieties! Bon appetite!

For the seitan I used Chef Chloe's basic seitan recipe. I've made seitan many times, but this was by far the simplest and the best (boiled variety)! It was nice and dense and not spongy! 

You will need:

1 1/3 cup vital wheat gluten

1 cup water (I used just under 1 cup)

4 cups veggie stock

1/4 cup soy sauce (I used braggs all purpose seasoning)

Combine wheat gluten and water and knead for 3 to 5 minutes. This is definitely tough, but I think it adds to the texture the more you knead it. In the mean time, bring the veggie stock and soy sauce to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cut the ball of seitan in half and place in the saucepan. Reduce to low and simmer for 30 min. Remove the seitan from the saucepan and let cool. 

For the buns you will need: 

2 cups all purpose flour

1 envelope of fleishmans rapid rise yeast (8 grams).

2 tablespoons raw cane sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons vegan margarine

Heat water, milk, and margarine in a saucepan until it is very warm (between 100 and 110 Degrees). Combine yeast, sugar, salt and half the flour in a bowl. Add in the warm liquid and stir vigorously for a few minutes. Add in the rest of the flour a bit at a time until a dough is formed (you may need slightly more or less that the 2 cups). Let rest for 10 minutes, and then knead for about 8 minutes until you have a nice smooth dough. Divide into 10 equal balls and place in an 8" round pan that has been greased and floured. Bake at 375 for 18 to 20 minutes. 

Pineapple BBQ sauce

3/4 cups pineapple tidbits (fresh if possible!)

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup agave 

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 Tbsp raw sugar

1/2 tsp onion powder 

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses

A couple dashes of liquid smoke

Combine ingredients in a high speed blender and purée until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionly, allowing it to thicken slightly and deepen in color (it will be a strange light color to begin with but don't be scared!). 

And now to put it all together!!

You will need:

1/2 cup of thinly sliced onion

2 tablespoons of oil (I used grapeseed).

Vegan margarine 

Garlic powder

Sriracha hot sauce

Thinly slice the seitan and then either rip it or slice it into thin strips. 

Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Add in the seitan and onions. Fry on medium-high heat for a few minutes into a little color shows on the seitan. Remove from heat and place in a baking dish with the whole recipe of BBQ sauce above, or about 1.5 cups of your favourite store bought brand. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. 

Take your buns, slice in half and spread with vegan margarine and garlic powder. Place them margarine side down in a hot frying pan and cook until light golden brown. Place a generous amount of the BBQ seitan on each bun and top with sriracha hot sauce (I highly recommend this!). Serve with coleslaw or any other side that you desire! Whew! That was a lot of typing! I hope you enjoy this recipe :)