Chinese Style BBQ Ribs Ribs: 1¼ c vital wheat gluten 4 tbsp potato flakes 1 tsp garlic powder ½ tsp Chinese five spice ¾ c vegan chicken/beef broth (or water) 1 tbsp hoisin sauce 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce 1 tbsp soy sauce Sauce: ½ c hoisin sauce ¼ c soy sauce 2 tbsp agave ½ tsp Chinese five spice ½ tsp garlic powder 2 tsp minced ginger paste 2 drops red food coloring (optional) red chili flakes and/or crushed szechuan peppercorns, to taste Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients for ribs. Mix all liquid ingredients in a measuring cup. Make a well in the dry ingredients and slowly incorporate the liquid. Mix together until a cohesive dough forms and knead for about a minute. (If it’s looking a little dry and hard to incorporate, add a splash more liquid at a time.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and form a flat disc with the rib mixture, about an inch or two thick. (Aim for a circle or wonky rectangle, but the gluten will do what it wants.) Bake the seitan for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway. Let cool. While the seitan cools, mix all ingredients for sauce. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F. When seitan is cool, cut into small slices, about half an inch wide. Then, cut each slice in half lengthways. Each one will be different, but you’re aiming for typical Chinese boneless rib size, so they’re uniform in thickness. Depending on what shape your original seitan was, cut each long “rib” in half for easier bite size pieces. Toss ribs in a few tbsp of sauce (this recipe makes a lot of sauce! It will keep in the fridge indefinitely! also good for dipping/reheating leftovers) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake ribs at 375° for 10-15 min, flipping halfway. Broil for 1-2 min to char the outside, but watch it carefully because it WILL burn! (And be careful to not set the parchment on fire like I do, almost every time...) When ribs come out of the oven, brush with a little more sauce for that sticky glossy finish. Top with a pinch of crushed szechuan peppercorns if using. Enjoy!
