- 2 cups (about 1 pound) sliced seitan cutlets then baking (about ¼ inch thick)
- 2 cups dried navy beans
- 6 cups water for soaking beans
- 3-inch piece kombu, broken into ¼-inch pieces
- ½ cup water
- 4 tablespoons sesame oil
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup barley miso or brown rice miso
- 3 tablespoons barley malt syrup or molasses
- 1½ teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon liquid hickory-smoke flavoring
- 1 large onion, diced
- Spread the beans on a baking sheet and pick through them, discarding any discolored beans or empty shells. Next, place the beans in a colander, rinse them, then transfer them to a medium pot. Add the water and soak 8 hours or overnight.
- When the beans have finished soaking, drain them and replace the leftover soaking water with an equal amount of fresh water. Add the kombu. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- To prepare the seasoning mixture, combine ½ cup water with 2 tablespoons sesame oil, the tomato paste, miso, barley malt syrup, mustard, and hickory-smoke flavoring. Add this mixture along with the onions to the beans and water.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of sesame oil in a heavy skillet, and pan-fry the seitan until it is crispy.
- Place the seitan and beans in a narrow-necked stoneware bean pot (or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting cover).
- Cover and bake the beans for 3-4 hours, stirring them periodically. Check often to make sure they don’t dry out. Add a little hot water to the pot as needed.