fake steak and black bean chili

I'm no vegetarian, but I certainly like seitan. Growing up, I knew it as 麵筋, which is funny because I can't actually read that, but I know that it's pronounced "miàn jīn" in Mandarin. It wasn't until early adulthood (i.e. less than a year ago) that I started cooking with it at home. A common misconception is that seitan is some kind of tofu. Basically, it's not. Seitan is made from wheat flour; tofu is made from soybeans. Both are good sources of protein, and used as meat substitutes by vegetarians. Both are also almost always in my fridge.

8 oz seitan, cut up into cubes
1 small onion, chopped
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 Tbsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
splash of beer (I used Brooklyn Lager... just nothing too dark)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 medium roma tomatoes, chopped
1 can black beans (15 oz)
1/2 c vegetable broth
1 tsp soy sauce
vegetable oil
salt and pepper


Heat up some oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Season seitan with some salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.

In the same pot, add a little more oil, then cook onions over medium-low heat until slightly translucent (about 2 to 3 minutes). It's okay if there are little pieces of seitan hanging on. Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook mixture for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of beer, and scrape up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Add garlic, jalapeno or serrano pepper, bell pepper, tomatoes, black beans, and browned seitan. Stir to combine ingredients. Add soy sauce (my secret ingredient of sorts) and broth. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes or so. The chili should get nice and thickened. I served this on top of brown rice, topped with crumbled cotija cheese and scallions.