Rub it On

Last night I made a rather tasty spice rub for some seitan cutlets that I made earlier in the week.  I like seitan a lot, but sometimes it can get too wet while it sits in the broth.  The solution?  Squeeze out as much liquid as you can before marinating it in a different mixture or using a rub.  I wish I measured out all the spices I used in the rub because it was really good – even better the next day as lunch.  It’s also a cheap way to add lots of flavor to a meal. Anyways, below is a rough guide.

Spicy Spice Rub

Ingredients: (I did not measure these out, so just do them to taste)

Garlic Powder (lots)
Paprika (just about as much as garlic powder)
Coriander (a few pinches)
Salt (a generous pinch)
Pepper (about 5 grinds of pepper)
Crushed red pepper (at least 2 tsps)
Dried Basil (a teaspoon or more)

To Do:

1. Put all of the spices in a little bowl and mix.
To Use:

1. Grab a seitan cutlet that you’ve pressed the excess moisture out of. This could probably work just as well with tempeh or tofu (also meat, I suppose).
2. Rub some of the spice mix onto each side of the cutlet. Place in a bowl.
3. Repeat with the rest of the cutlets (just pile them all in a bowl).
4. Let sit while you make the rest of your meal or cook immediately. I heated up some oil in a cast iron grill pan, cooked the cutlets on each side briefly and then stuck the whole thing under a broiler for about 5 minutes.

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