Deli Sliced Roast Beef

Roast beef and turkey roast ingredients side by side

~1300 calories for the whole recipe; ~10% protein

1 block super firm tofu

1 cup vital wheat gluten

1/4 cup raw beet, cubed (one small beet)

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp dried rosemary

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp No Beef Better Than Bouillon

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp oil

Added: MSG, red food dye, gravy master

SPICE COATING:

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Notes: try lowering oven temp; or IP for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Add the peeled and cubed beet to the food processor. Let it run for a minute and get the beet good and broken down.

Break up the tofu and place it into a food processor along with the beet. Run the processor for around a minute until the tofu is broken down.

Add all of the remaining ingredients and let the food processor run for a couple of minutes. You want the mixture to form a dough. Letting the processor run will help knead the dough. We want this seitan to be firm so we need it to knead for a bit. If the dough seems too dry, you can add water, just a teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together. I added NO water to my dough. The other liquid ingredients and the beet added enough moisture to mine.

Once you have a smooth but firm dough, remove it from the food processor and place on a clean counter. Knead the dough with your hands for about a minute, forming a kind of oval shaped loaf with the dough.

Take a piece of aluminum for about 3x bigger than the loaf of dough, and lay it out flat. Coat the foil in spray oil or wipe it down with any oil you have. Sprinkle half of the spice coating in the center of the foil. Place the loaf on the seasoning and roll it around. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning over the top and press it in. The goal is to fully coat the loaf in the seasoning!

Place the loaf back in the center of the foil and fold up the sides, pinching at the top to seal it up, then twist the ends to fully seal the foil.

Place on a baking sheet and put in the oven on the middle rack. Bake sealed for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes carefully open up the foil, and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes.

Remove finished vegan roast beef and let cool at room temp. Seal the foil back up and place the vegan roast beef in the fridge over night to rest. This step is important to get the texture we are trying achieve. If you try and serve it before it rests it will not be nearly as firm.

Once the vegan roast beef has been in the fridge over night, you can remove it and slice it to serve. It should at this point be firm enough to slice using a mandolin or a sharp knife. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.