KICKASS PLANT-BASED REUBEN on DARK RYE

image MAKES 6 SANDWICHES

Whenever I’m in Chicago, I will go out of my way to cross town for the plant-based Reuben at Chicago Diner. It’s what dreams are made of. I believe they use pickle juice to flavor the seitan, which gives it the perfect acidity. Crisp seitan, creamy Russian dressing, earthy rye bread, spunky sauerkraut, and soft cheese: I just can’t get enough. Here’s my version of this comfort food. This is your home-on-Sunday-with-nothing-to-do sandwich. Eat one (or two), flop on the couch, and embrace naptime. —CHAD

SEITAN

2½ cups vital wheat gluten

½ cup chickpea flour

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1 cup Coriander Spice Mix (here)

1 cup chopped peeled red beet

1½ cups Vegetable Stock (here) or store-bought

1/3 cup dry sherry

3 tablespoons tamari

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Spray oil

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

1 tablespoon everyday olive oil

2 onions, sliced paper-thin

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

ASSEMBLY

1 tablespoon everyday olive oil

1 cup sauerkraut

6 to 8 slices plant-based cheese, such as Chao Field Roast

12 slices dark rye bread, lightly toasted or grilled

1¼ cups Sriracha Russian Dressing (here) or store-bought Follow Your Heart Thousand Island

image TO MAKE THE SEITAN: In a medium bowl, mix together the wheat gluten, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, and half of the spice mix (½ cup).

image Put the beets, stock, sherry, tamari, tomato paste, and maple syrup in a blender (preferably high-speed), and blend until very smooth. The consistency will be somewhat thick, like a smoothie.

image Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the blended mixture. Mix well by hand, making sure everything is fully blended together. You’ll end up with very stiff Play-Doh-like dough because you are working the gluten and developing its strength. You may need to adjust the wheat gluten and/or vegetable stock up or down to achieve the stiff Play-Doh consistency. Keep mixing until it reaches that consistency.

image Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat 2 large pieces of heavy-duty foil with spray oil and set aside.

image Roll and stretch the seitan dough to create a log-shaped loaf about 10 inches long and 4 to 5 inches in diameter. The dough will be stiff; just keep working it to create that shape. Transfer the loaf to the foil and coat all over with the remaining spice mix (½ cup), rolling the loaf in the foil for even coating. Roll up the seitan in the foil and wrap it in a tight cylinder. Twist the ends like a Tootsie Roll, then fold in the ends. Make sure it’s wrapped tight to keep the seitan from expanding during baking.

image Place the seitan roll on a baking sheet and bake until extremely firm, turning the roll every 15 to 20 minutes for even cooking. Test the doneness by squeezing it with tongs. The seitan should feel very stiff, like it will be an effort to slice. It will take 80 to 90 minutes to reach this fully cooked texture.

image Let cool completely in the foil. This is an important step because the seitan will expand and loosen up if you remove it from the foil before cooling. (Weird, right?!)

image Once fully cooled, the loaf will firm up even more. At that point, you can slice it thin for sandwiches or dice it and brown it for tacos or bowls, or whatever you like. For these Reubens, shave 3 cups paper-thin slices. (You’ll have some seitan left over; wrap it and chill for a week or two, or freeze it for a month or so.)

image TO CARAMELIZE THE ONIONS: Heat a large deep sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then the onions, and cook for a minute or two. Cut the heat to medium low, cover the pan, and cook, stirring often, until the onions are deeply browned, 15 to 20 minutes. To prevent burning, add a splash of water now and then, scraping up the browned glaze from the pan bottom. Season with salt and pepper, and remove the caramelized onions to a plate.

image TO ASSEMBLE EACH SANDWICH: Heat the same pan over medium-high heat. Add about ½ teaspoon of the oil, then about ½ cup of the shaved seitan. Cook until the seitan is nice and crisp all over, tossing now and then for even browning. Use a spatula to scrape the seitan into a small pile that will fit the bread.

image Plop a few tablespoons each of caramelized onion and sauerkraut next to the seitan in the pan to warm up. When hot, layer the onions on the kraut, then layer the kraut on the seitan in the pan. Top with a slice of cheese. Add a splash of water to the pan, cover with a lid, and let sit until the cheese melts.

image Lather up 2 slices of the toasted rye with Russian dressing. Using a spatula, place the pile of deliciousness on one slice of the bread. Spoon a bit more dressing on top and cover with another bread slice.

image Grab some paper towels and stuff your face as you slowly fade into a food coma.