A Guide To Making Your Very Own Vegan Brisket

Texas style beef brisket is known for giving meat lovers everywhere the traditional, smoky taste that only slow cooked, barbecued meat can give you. This is the thought that many people have when it comes to this dish, so it is to no surprise that a little bit of controversy is made when the term vegan brisket comes into play.

Some people find it a disgrace to still call the dish a brisket since it is not made from the front, lower section of the cow. But, as a vegan, you already know and have probably dealt with people that are not open to the idea of trying vegan dishes and try to convince you to do the same.

Once you get past this point of controversy when you are looking for vegan brisket recipes, things will be a lot easier, and you’ll be making your own version of brisket in no time. But first, let’s look into what vegan brisket is, and how it came to be in the first place.

What Is Vegan Brisket?

Vegan brisket is a dish that is inspired by the traditional Texas style beef brisket that America has come to know and love for decades. It is the process of slow cooking the front, lower portion of the cow, called the brisket, in either an oven or smoker for hours at a time to get the juiciest, tenderest meat out there to share with family and friends.

Sounds great, right? Once you get a taste of this dish, there is no going back, and many people know this and don't want to miss out on its greatness, so they made a healthier option. Vegan brisket is a dish that gives you the same feeling and taste as the original beef brisket without including the health risks and torture of animals that meat can bring.

Vegan Brisket Recipe Ideas

Since there is no meat being used in this dish, you will find that there are many different ways to go about creating the meal than the traditional way of beef brisket. That is because of the many different meat substitutions that can be used to mimic the look and flavor of brisket.

One of the popular options that you will come across on the hunt for a vegan beef brisket recipe is the use of seitan or vegan corned beef to replace meat. Seitan is used as a meat substitute because of the chewy, meat-like texture it has once it’s cooked.

It is made from wheat gluten that you can either buy in store or make yourself at home by buying the powder and adding water to it.

Some recipes require you to buy the powder kind to be able to add the flavoring directly to the seitan before it is cooked. For instance, you can add mushroom and chipotle powder to the mi before mixing it with liquids. When making this, pour in the water slowly and mix thoroughly to get the dough to come out perfectly.

Once you have the dough, season it the way you like using either spices, sauces, or both. The great part about vegan brisket is that you can flavor it as much as you need to bring you closer to the taste of meat.

If you want a bbq flavored brisket, you can use two cups of barbecue sauce, half a cup of hoisin sauce, half a cup of chopped onion, some garlic cloves, and chipotle chiles to make the sauce and plaster it onto the dough. You can even add beer or wine to the mix if you like. To give it more of a kick, combine paprika, cumin and chili powder to spice things up.

After the seasoning process, cover in aluminum foil like you would an actual brisket and pop it in the oven.

The amount of time needed to cook varies, as the temperature on a grill is hard to control. The usual amount of time it takes is thirty minutes or longer, so with this dish, you will have to check on it periodically.

If you decide to bake it in the oven, place the seitan in a casserole dish and bake on each side for thirty minutes. After, continue to flip the seitan every fifteen minutes until sauce is nice and thick. Either way, using this meat substitute is the more effective way to achieve the texture of beef brisket.

Meat Alternatives

If you do not want to go the seitan route, there are plenty of other options to choose from when it comes to meat alternatives. Another popular substitute that is frequently used to make vegan brisket is using jackfruit.

Jackfruit is a fruit that is grown in the tropical regions of the world and has a meat-like texture once you cook it. The process is a lot different than the traditional method of cooking beef and vegan beef brisket. First, you add the ingredients that you will be using to get the flavor you desire into a pot, and then you add the fruit.

You then cook it under low heat for thirty minutes or longer until it gets tender and then you are finished. And, the great part about this alternative recipe is that it does not have to be served immediately and can be saved for leftovers for a longer period of time.

Vegan ground beef is another option that you can make yourself using tempeh, tomato paste, and a variety of spices. It’s a little harder to use for brisket recipes, but not impossible if you make large amounts. You could also try vegan beef jerky if you are feeling adventurous.

Summary

As you have learned, making a vegan version of the super famous Texas style beef brisket is not hard at all and is actually a lot easier to achieve than the traditional way. By making vegan brisket, you are choosing a healthier alternative to the meal and won't have to sacrifice meaty meals when you change your lifestyle.