Like many Ashkenazi Jews, I grew up believing that my mother made the best brisket in the world. (I still believe that today.) Fragrant, savory and unbelievably tender, it was and continues to be the stuff of holiday memories – and of sneaking back to the fridge at midnight, long after the guests had gone home.
When I decided to become a vegetarian at age 17, I did so with the acute and sorrowful understanding that I was saying goodbye to one of my favorite Jewish dishes. Brisket was such a sacred food to me, I never even considered trying to recreate it for my meat-free lifestyle, until a friend mentioned that he was trying to “perfect his vegetarian brisket.”
Intrigued, I began fiddling with my own version, combining recipes I found online with the tastes I recalled from childhood. While the resulting dish is by no means an exact replica of my mother’s (and I am no longer a vegetarian), it definitely holds its own on the Rosh Hashanah table or at a Purim feast.
Of course, vegetarian brisket is a rather blatant misnomer, because the word brisket specifically refers to a cut of meat (the “flat, boneless, flavorful cut taken from the breast of a steer,” according to Matthew Goodman’s “Jewish Food: The World at Table”). However, over time, the concept of brisket – at least “Jewish brisket” – has become almost interchangeable with its preparation: the searing over high heat and slow braise necessary to soften this tough kosher cut into a steamy pile of juice and meat. In that sense, “brisket” refers not to a particular ingredient, but rather to a method of cooking, and to the noble search for gastro-Jewish nirvana.
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Seitan, a meat substitute made from wheat, is inherently chewy and tender, so it does not need to stew for as long as traditional brisket. But since your taste buds will quickly become intoxicated by the smell of onions, garlic and tomato wafting from the oven, the quicker cooking time is a blessing.
Note: Store the brisket, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Saucy Seitan Brisket
A savory, seitan-based vegetarian brisket that captures the nostalgic, slow-braised flavors of the Jewish holiday classic without the meat.
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp sunflower oil (or other neutral vegetable oil), divided
- 3 (8 oz) packages unflavored seitan chunks, drained and cut into bite-size pieces if necessary
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 12 wedges through the root
- 2 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise if thick and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 celery stalks, halved lengthwise if thick and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1½ cups vegetable broth
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp Diamond kosher salt, plus more as needed
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Heat ¼ cup of the oil in a Dutch oven or other large, wide-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat. Add the seitan chunks and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, 8-10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the seitan to a bowl.
- Add the remaining 2 Tbsp oil to the Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots and celery, lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and beginning to soften, 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, onion powder, paprika, salt and black pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a bubble then cover and transfer to the oven. Roast, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are fully tender and the sauce has thickened, 45-60 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, taste and add more salt if needed. Let sit for 10 minutes, then transfer the seitan and veggies to a serving platter. Spoon the sauce over top and serve hot.
Notes
Store the brisket, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Ashkenazi
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