Seitan Sauerbraten

1 pound of seitan, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 cups of cider vinegar
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of dry red wine
4 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon of caraway seeds
2 tablespoons of firmly packed light brown sugar
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1/2 cup of ground gingersnaps
1/4 cup of golden raisins
1/3 cup of sour cream, dairy or tofu (optional)

Place the sliced seitan, the onion, and the garlic in a large bowl. Add the vinegar, the water, the wine, the peppercorns, and the bay leaf. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 3 hours, or overnight if that is more convenient. Turn the seitan a few times during this marinating.

Remove the seitan from the bowl and reserve the marinade.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seitan and sear on both sides to brown. Season with salt and pepper and set the pan aside.

Strain the marinade through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-size saucepan. Bring the strained marinade to a boil and reduce by one-third.

Reduce the heat under the marinade to low, add the tomato paste, the gingersnaps, and the raisins. Stir until thickened.

For a creamier sauce, stir in the sour cream.

Add 1/2 cup of the sauce to the seitan. Simmer until the seitan is hot.

Transfer the seitan slices to a serving platter and top with the remaining sauce.

Serve at once.