Why It Works
- A rich mushroom stock fortified with vegetable base adds meaty flavor to the yuba.
- Thick yuba sheets hold up to simmering in the mushroom stock and have a nice chewy bite.
- Shredded, roasted trumpet mushrooms soak up any extra sauce, preventing the sandwich from getting soggy.
- Deep, toasty flavors of caramel give the filling dimension and balance.
My love of yuba runs deep. If I ever found myself in aSophie’s Choicesituation, forced to say goodbye to either tofu skin or meat, you’d find me silently screaming after deciding to let my baby beef go. That said, dare I declare that this vegan yuba cheesesteak is even better than its carnivorous counterpart? Oh yes, I dare. Okay, I’ll admit that my opinion of this sandwich is severely skewed due to my undying affection for yuba, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still pretty darn delicious.
If it makes you feel more comfortable, just call it a yuba sandwichinspiredby the iconic cheesesteak. The jury is still out on who makes the bestcheesesteak, but what I’m looking for is tender and juicy thinly sliced steak, a fresh, crusty roll with a fluffy interior, and I’m always “wiz wit”—meaning I want my cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz and onions.
While the mushroom broth is simmering, I also caramelize onions and roast king oyster mushrooms, which will be added to the mix at the end. The trumpet mushrooms are joining the team for their ability to sop up sauce like a sponge, which prevents the yuba filling from getting wet and soggy. I shred the trumpet mushrooms lengthwise to create a coarse and rough texture, maximizing surface area and sauce-sucking potential. I then toss the mushroom shreds with oil, salt, and pepper before roasting until golden and crisp.
To finish up the bean curd “steak,” I sprinkle sugar across a wide sauté pan and allow it to caramelize to a dark brown. Once browned and nearly smoking, I drop in the bean curd strips and stir to toss in the caramel. Next, I season the yuba with paprika, garlic powder, and a few generous turns of black pepper. This is all topped with the mushroom broth and everything gets simmered down until the liquid reduces to a thick glaze. I finally stir in the caramelized onions and roasted trumpet mushrooms to finish off the filling.
You could stop here and finish the sandwich with a few slices of vegan cheese, but I need Cheez Whiz in order to call it a cheesesteak. Kenji’svegan cheese saucealmost nails it, but it’s too spicy and Southwestern-inspired for an East Coast sandwich. To push his sauce closer to Philly, I omit the chipotles, jalapeños, and hot sauce. Instead, I add a teaspoon of tomato paste and a heap of nutritional yeast. I love the musky taste of nutritional yeast; it’s cheesy with a hint of wet basem*nt—in the best possible way.
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All that’s left is to assemble the sandwich. I prefer untoasted buns, and I generously smear them with the cheese sauce before loading them up with yuba “steak,” followed by more cheese, of course. For the most authentic experience, I like to wrap my sandwich up in foil, shove it in the bottom of my backpack, walk around town, and eat it hours later once the yuba, cheese sauce, and bread have all gotten to know one another. But eat yours immediately, if you must.
March 2018
Recipe Details
Vegan Philly Cheesesteak
Serves6 sandwiches
Ingredients
For the Mushroom Stock:
7 cups (20 ounces; 560g) button mushrooms, washed and quartered
1 medium (10 ounces; 280g) onion, quartered
8 cloves (2 ounces; 60g) garlic, roughly smashed
4 small (9.5 ounces; 270g) carrots, cut into large chunks
4 ribs (12 ounces; 340g) celery, cut into large chunks
5 tablespoons (2.5 ounces; 70g) vegetable oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon (0.5 ounce; 15g)tomato paste
3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces; 45g) vegetable base, such as Better Than Bouillon
For the Cheesesteak Filling:
1.5 packages (15 ounces; 420g) beancurd sheets (yuba)
6 tablespoons (1.5 ounces; 45g) vegetable oil, divided
2 medium (20 ounces; 560g) onion, thinly sliced
3 cups (8 ounces; 220g) royal trumpet mushroom, shredded lengthwise
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup (1.75 ounces; 50g)sugar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons (1 ounce; 30g)spicy brown mustard
Vegan nacho cheese sauce(see note)
6 hoagie buns
Directions
For the mushroom stock: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). In a large bowl, toss together the mushroom, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil and kosher salt. Spread onto two foil-lined sheet trays. Roast until deeply browned, about 45 minutes, tossing vegetables every 15 minutes.
In a 4-quart sauce pot over medium heat, add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and tomato paste. Cook tomato paste until caramelized and deep mahogany, about 5 minutes. Add 6 cups (48 ounces; 1.3L) water, roasted vegetables, and vegetable base. Simmer for 45 minutes. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain mushroom stock, pressing firmly on solids.
For the cheesesteak filling: Remove yuba from package and cut into 1-inch strips. (Optional: Place cut yuba in a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place the nozzle of a smoking gun under the plastic wrap. Light smoking gun until the bowl fills with smoke. Let the yuba sit in the smoke for 30 minutes, adding more smoke as needed.)
While stock is simmering, over medium-low heat in a medium saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil and add onions. Cook gently until caramelized, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a splash of water as needed.
Toss the shredded trumpet mushroom with the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread onto a foil-lined sheet tray and roast at 450°F (232°C) until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.
In a large saute pan over high heat, add the sugar and caramelize until deep golden brown. Add the yuba strips, stirring to distribute caramel. Add the paprika, garlic powder, mushroom stock, and black pepper. Simmer until most of the liquid has reduced and the yuba is glazed. Remove from heat and stir in the mustard, caramelized onions, and roasted trumpet mushrooms.
To assemble the sandwiches: If desired, warm or toast the hoagie buns. Split open the buns and spread with 1/4 cup of Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce. Divide the yuba filling among the six buns and top with extra cheese. Serve immediately.
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Special Equipment
Half sheet pan, fine-mesh strainer, smoking gun (optional)
Notes
Kenji's recipe for Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce has a lot of heat and a southwestern taste. For something with flavors closer to a true cheesesteak omit the jalapeño, chipotle, and hot sauce. Instead, add 1 teaspoon tomato paste to the onions and blend in 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes at the end. If you do not own a smoking gun, you can use a wok to smoke the yuba, or you can add 1/4 teaspoon (1ml) good-quality liquid smoke, such as Wright's or Colgin to the yuba mixture at the end of Step 6.
- Dairy-free Mains
- Vegan Mains
- Vegetarian Mains
- Roasted Vegetables
- Mushrooms
