Chicken Fried (Seitan) Steak

1. In a stockpot, combine 2 quarts water, onions, soy sauce, molasses, and garlic; bring to a boil.
2. In a medium bowl, add 1 cup vital wheat gluten to the 1 cup prepared beef-flavored bouillon; stir to combine. Grab handfuls of the mixture and squeeze out as much water as possible, setting pressed chunks aside as you go. When all the water has been squeezed out from all the gluten, add a small amount more gluten flour to recover the water. Follow the process as before to the remove excess water.
3. Combine all pressed balls of gluten together into one mass. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Stretch each piece into the shape of a steak. Place steaks into the boiling broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until cooked. Remove steaks from broth and allow to cool to room temperature.
4. In a shallow pie plate, combine 1/2 cup flour and salt. Pour prepared egg into another pie plate. Dredge steaks through flour, egg and flour again, removing any excess flour or egg along the way. Place steaks on a plate or rack for 10 minutes.
5. Heat oven to 250 degrees F. Heat oil in a fry pan (avoid non-stick) over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook steaks for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until nicely golden. Remove steaks to a plate and place batches in oven to stay warm.
6. Gravy: Add oil to pan, if necessary, to reach about 2 tablespoon of total oil. Add 2 tablespoons flour and whisk to distribute the flour. Add prepared chicken-flavored broth and whisk until the mixture boils. Add the nondairy milk and thyme and cook until thickened. Serve the sawmill gravy over the steaks.
* Egg Replacer: To substitute another kind of "egg", use 4x the amount of binder and 1/2 the amount of water for a single egg.
Source of recipe: Adapted from Alton Brown's Chicken Fried Steak (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chicken-fried-steak-recip...) and "...Gluten Steaks..." by Susanne Swisher (http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=7545.0)