According to some folks, especially those in Pennsylvania, in order to have good luck in the new year, you should dine on pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day. This, according to legend, is because pigs root forward, a symbol of success. I’ve never seen a pig rooting, but I did make eye contact with a certain pig about 10 years ago, and that encounter was one of a series of events that led to my current diet, which usually does not include animal products.
So, what if you want good luck in the new year but don’t want to actually eat a pig? Well, happily, I found Pennsylvegan’s recipe for pork and sauerkraut that uses seitan instead of pork. This recipe involves making your own seitan, using wheat gluten. To cut down on cooking time, you can also use already-prepared seitan from your grocery store.
After I prepared the seitan and added it to the sauerkraut, I threw in a few ingredients that appear in most traditional pork and sauerkraut recipes, such as brown sugar, beer, apples, and onion.
End result? My husband and my father said it tasted pretty good. Me? I was never a fan of the dish even when I used to eat meat. Did it bring me good luck? Hard to say.
Below you’ll find a pictorial account of the making of my version of the Pennsylvania vegan good-luck dinner. A list of ingredients and directions follow. What do you think?
Ingredients:
Seitan:
1 1/3 cup wheat gluten
1 cup water
Broth:
4 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. liquid smoke
4 tbsp. nutritional yeast
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. oregano
4 tsp. mustard seed
1/2 tsp. sage
Sauerkraut:
1 large jar or package sauerkraut
1 apple, cut into chunks
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 bottle beer
Seitan: Mix wheat gluten and water together. Knead five minutes. Cut into small pieces.
Broth: Mix all broth ingredients together. Bring to a boil.
Add the seitan to the broth and simmer until most liquid evaporates or is absorbed (about 2 hours). Stir every ten minutes.
In crockpot, combine seitan with sauerkraut ingredients. Mix well. Cook on high heat 2 hours. Serve 4-6.