Roast Beef

Wet Ingredients:
—1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas with the liquid (no need to drain or rinse them!)
—1 1/2 cup warm water
—1 1/2 tbs garlic powder
—1 1/2 tbs onion powder
—3/4 tsp black pepper
—3 tbs vegan beef bouillon/seasoning (you can add more or less depending on how strong your seasoning is)
—3 1/2 tbs soy sauce (or low sodium soy sauce)
—1 1/2 tbs MSG/mushroom powder
—3/4 cup tomato paste/ketchup (I used a half cup tomato paste and 1/4 cup ketchup)
—1/2 cup beetroot powder (optional) (you can substitute whole cooked beets or red food coloring)
—3 tbs baking powder
—1 1/2 tbs nutritional yeast

Dry Ingredient:
—4 cups vital wheat gluten (VWG)

Additional Ingredients:
—4-5 tbs neutral oil
—4-6 cups vegan beef broth

Instructions:
1. Add all the wet ingredients to a food processor (or blender if you do not have a processor) and process until the chickpeas have liquified.
2. Add 4 cups of vital wheat gluten (VWG) to the wet mixture and process until it comes together, or you can knead this by hand for 5-10 min. If using a blender or smaller processor, you can do this step in batches.
3. Text the texture of the dough. It should be stretchy and saturated and have some gluten formation.
4. Form the dough into a long, snake-like strand by stretching and rolling it. If this is difficult to do at first, let the dough rest and relax for 20 min and try again. Repeat this step as necessary.
5. Starting at the center of the strand, form a knot, knot the dough again, and then tuck in the ends of the strand to form a roast.
7. Sear the roast in hot oil on all sides. This will help preserve the color of the roast as it simmers and will add some fat to the crust as it absorbs some of the oil.
8. Lower the heat, and add 4-6 cups savory vegan beef broth to your pan or pot (add enough broth so that the roast is at least halfway submerged). I like to make my broth with vegetable scraps, no beef seasoning, S&P, soy sauce, and vegan red wine! 😋
9. Simmer the roast until it is firm to the touch (4-5 hours), flipping it as it cooks.
10. Let the roast cool, then store with the broth in the refrigerator overnight.
11. Finely shave the roast.
12. Enjoy!