This is NOT meat. These are highly-processed, chemically altered, manufactured franken foods. It should be illegal to label these artificially manipulated products "meat." Call them sausage (or whatever) with plant-derived protein, but never never never deceptively label them as meat or fish.
Anyone who thinks this will not end with industry consolidation and monopoly control by 1or 2 corporations is not looking at the market.
Consumers are already turning away from this fad. Supermarket and restaurant sales tanked.
1
I've been trying to make some seitan (wheat based meat) for several months now and have yet to find a recipe that tastes like meat or has about the same texture. The closest I got was by adding quite a lot of ground fresh button mushrooms plus some black morel powder I purchased online, at some expense. I'm soy intolerant, so there go all the tofu/soy based recipes, which also means little to no soy, liquid aminos and other soy-based flavor enhancers which just happen to be incredibly salty too. There should be a competition to find the most meat-like vegetarian meat and then publish the recipes.
Are you eating for health or environmental reasons? Or both? Impossible and Beyond are highly processed foods (with tons of sodium) which are not heart-healthy. All the meat processing driven by consumption demand leaves a big carbon footprint and is an unsustainable use of land. Of course, eating for taste leaves the door open to eating what tastes good, regardless of health or environmental impact. I try to apply the old adage of all things in moderation and don't make meat and meat substitutes core to my diet in frequency eaten or portion size, instead upping consumption of deliciously prepared produce and grains. But when I want a juicy burger (I go for the meat one) once in a while I go for it. And cheese knows no rules,.....
6
I’m a vegetarian because I don’t like the taste of meat. Recently for a dinner party I thought I would try making spaghetti and meatballs, using the plant based Beyond meat. My guests all said it was delicious. I couldn’t eat it! Ugh, meaty!
4
Plant based meats! MEATS? Oxymoron.
2
@ALUSNA
Not really...I have heard the term "nut meats" for years, to refer to walnuts, pecans, etc.
16
@Emily A key difference is that the term 'nut meat' in no way is an attempt to equate itself with animal flesh.
4
Enjoy. But please don't call non-dairy foods "cheese" and plant derived products "meat." That is dishonest. Why even bother to mimic these foods. These are highly processed products.
9
The terms "flesh" and "meat" have long been used to describe plant based items (coconut, jackfruit, peaches, to name a few). The definition of "cheese" does not require that the milk be from an animal, though conventionally that has been the case more often than not. Please stop trying to gatekeep words. Big Ag does not need any more help - they have far too much money and control as it stands.
8
Also, highly processed? Do you know anything about animal agriculture??
I make seitan (a vegan meat) from 3 ingredients - vital wheat gluten, water, and vegetable stock. I make cheese with cashews, pickle brine, and oil. No creature had to be fed ground up dead relatives or get chronic prophylactic antibiotics. My health improved drastically when I moved from vegetarian to vegan, and the only thing that changed is I no longer consume eggs or animal dairy. Otherwise, I still indulge in ice cream and wine, I still don't exercise as often as I should. But my LDL and A1C are so much lower now, my doctor asked me what had changed. The United States' dependence on animal products to "make" the meal, not an embrace of plant based substitutes, is killing us.
6
@ynaal I congratulate you for success in your cholesterol and A1C numbers. Not everyone achieves a lowering of those numbers simply by going vegan etc. These foods may help a lot but they don’t “cure” problems that are caused by real metabolic disease.
1
Why oh why are the only two 'Picks' by the NYTImes ones from those who are already vegans decrying the need for ANY sort of 'meat' made w'plants!
Of the 18 replies in response to these 2 'picks' almost all point to the obvious fact that these plant based animal flesh subs provide an alternative to the 'real thing' & benefit the planet if they were to become at all popular!
Yes long time Vegans have long given up on a desire for 'meat' yet how many 'out there' went vegan for a day, week, month or longer & gave it up because of their desire for a burger!
If there were a 'sea change' w'in the population of the world towards 'meat analogs', as they have been referred to, we would see a tremendous reduction in methane, intentionally set forest fires, a curtailment of fecal contamination in potable water, less 'mono cropping' and MANY other 'direct relationship' to animal agriculture climate destructive practices! Combined w'the current fact that dairy consumption is down exponentially w'in the last decade, it would bode very well for 'real' measures to mitigate climate change!
This simple relationship must be an obvious statement w'in any discussion of 'plant based meat' weather one likes it or NOT!
13
I find the vegan meat to be a fair amount sweeter than traditional beef.
That was an exhausting piece eluding to common knowledge. I don’t subscribe for clickbait. Unfortunately, most vegan or plant-based cooking articles feel like clickbait.
5
Didn’t love this way of describing the delicious intensity of MSG: (“If you’re not averse to it...”)
Did love Alt’s discussion of fat-liquifying temps - makes a ton of sense; I’ll be cooking vegan patties fatter and quicker, now that I know my knee-jerk proclivity for well-done is *a* reason I’m not as into home-cooked patties as bar-cooked ones. Much thanks!!
3
This article and conversation is antiquated. It is time to stop killing animals and destroying the planet for our convenience and pleasure. Racism, Sexism, Classism, Speciesism...the time for change is now!
17
@Frank Swart While I basically agree with you, the reality of it is, there will not be enough trendy, expensive organic, vegan food for all no matter how much you pitch it. Where will all the nuts and other fancy flavor enhancers come from for billions of meals? Why not just eat like they do in India and other already vegetarian cultures? What the world needs is population reduction. We're like microbes in a petri dish. Once the food supply in the tiny little ecosystem runs out, the entire colony perishes. If we don't reduce our "colony" of big eaters, it will be the same for earth.
@Lucy The fantasy of zero-sum food has no basis in fact. The dinner you ate today in the USA did not require taking dinner away from someone in India. The real risk? Not the continual improvements in food productions and the agricultural dynamos generating food surpluses in much of the world. The real risk is shrinking population - the ongoing demographic shift. There are now, and for the foreseeable future, fewer people of age to produce goods, food, and services - as well as take care of elderly readers of the NYT
1
Both Beyond and Impossible are highly processed, very expensive and ultimately not healthier than their meat counterparts.
Why not use healthier products, like Adda Veggie, that you prepare using fresh vegetables? In my experience these products are more delicious and more versatile meat replacements than products that try to mimic meat to the n'th degree.
3
@Joseph The article seemed like a thinly-disguised info-mercial. It would have been nice to hear what other companies or chefs have come up with.
My experience with these vegetarian and vegan meats started at Chinese Buddhist Vegetarian restaurants along time back. I loved the veggie chicken, veggie shrimp (looks like one too) and various other "meats." I read that a lot of people in Taiwan eat them as well.
So these newer plant based meats are a cakewalk for me and I have not had one that tastes bad and I used to eat beef burgers and steaks till they dropped off my food list about 15 plus years ago. If pushed, I'll still eat one.
If you've not had a soyrizo taco or burrito you have not lived yet...
6
@Gary Valan Please post the recipes because I haven't been successful yet, no matter whose recipe I used.
Plant-based meat isn't meat. It's the product of a nightmarish tangle of pipes and vats and valves as complex as any other massive chemical plant, and that product is itself a nightmare of multi-syllabic chemicals pretending to be what they're not.
If you don't eat meat, why eat its Halloween impersonator?
And for those of you who feel avoiding meat-eating is a kindness for the animals, remember that total veganism means all the meat-producing animal species will become extinct. They can't live on their own, and if we don't buy meat, the farmers won't raise them.
It's a fine kindness.
4
By your tone and word choice I’d guess you don’t ’believe’ in climate change (my apostrophes are my astonishment that someone might not believe in a fact based discipline). Also, because you don’t mention it.
Do you kill your own meat? Do you feel that being raised in industrial conditions, as so much of the developed worlds animals are, and slaughtered in their youth is better than being extinct? Which would you choose as a pig, cow, or chicken?
23
If we can preserve the elephant, gorilla, white rhino, [insert highly endangered species] here, we certainly can keep keep a few pigs and cows going forward, so that argument is a weak strawman at best. But, even if that were true, I think the pigs would rather go extinct than spend their miserable drastically shortened lives tortured and bored out of their skulls prior to being murdered. We kill pigs at about 6 months (life span about 14-16 years, like dogs), beef cows at 2 years (20 year life span), chickens at 42 DAYS (life span 6-8 years). Working on a small "humane" farm, and later serving as an ambulatory vet for a few, is what opened my eyes to the fact that it doesn't matter how kind the farm is, there is no humane way to kill an animal that doesn't want to die.
11
The best tip I have for plant based meats- which just sounds like the dumbest thing I've ever heard, aka marketing wizardry- is to throw them away and either eat or don't eat real meat.
2
I use Beyond Beef Hot Italian Sausage to make my vegatarian chilli or Tuscan White Bean and Kale soup. I peel off the outer casing and treat it just like I would traditional pork hot italian sausage. The 'meat' does stick to the pan a lot more and requires a little extra attention. Still it is not truly healthy but maybe just a little bit less bad for you.
5
"Second class Citizens"
Actually I feel like a First class Citizen being a Vegetarian. Given that the present corona virus and all other previous viruses came from eating meat, wildlife or otherwise.
Please stop eating Meat. Help end the Animal suffering now. They will not give us Viruses in return.
35
I love it, but Impossible burgers are always $1-2 more than traditional burgers, in every restaurant I frequent, like it's a "special". I am going to the wrong resturants?
2
@Michael This is unfortunately true as they cost the restaurant considerably more also. Many are unaware that we here in the US pay considerably less for meat & dairy because the USDA subsidizes it @ all the points of getting it to you plate! Like gasoline we pay less than almost anywhere else in the world!
THIS bodes poorly for any sort of 'sea change' when eating less 'real' meat is ne of the best ways to combat climate change!
8
@Karen NBvW I'm not so sure about the paying less for gasoline than any place in the world. The cost of gas in Ecuador and Argentina a few months ago while we were there was an incredible bargain (for us at least).
I prefer Beyond because Impossible—despite zero requirement to do so—tested on animals when it sought regulatory approval. More than 80 rats died to make Impossible possible.
Beyond is vegan AND 100p cruelty-free.
Unfortunately, both Beyond and Impossible are so fat-laden, the real reason not to eat meat, to be heart-healthy, is lost.
Conclusion: While generally good for the animals which don’t get slaughtered, both fakes have such high fat content consumption may lead to your early demise.
Eat real not fake. More beans and greens, please.
2
@Emil Guillermo there's nothing cruelty free about the monocrop agricultures that make up the bulk of ingredients in these. Tilling kills thousands of animals (million in aggregate) every year, the fertilizers cause dead zones in our oceans, and the pesticides and other biocides have lead to what scientists call an insect apocalypse.
The most ethical thing you can eat are foods that are grown in ecologies. Neither Beyond nor Impossible fit that bill.
@Neal
"Monocrop agriculture" is actually almost exclusively 'animal feed' ag. Same goes for almost ALL of the soy & corn grown using GMO pesticide chemical resistant seeds!
The 'ratio' of plant protein into a pig/steer & meat protein produced by the flesh is approx. 10/1! The ratio of H2O in and milk out is close to 100/1!
Animal Agriculture in therefore considerably more destructive in ALL ways than ANY plant based human food!
7
@Emil Guillermo I'm trying to be more plant based. These non-meat dishes are incredibly expensive, especially if you go 100% organic after you've purchased all the $12 a bottle seasonings required to make them.
If enough of us suggest that we love meat so much that we want our broccoli, barley, spinach, potatoes, rice, to be made of meat, there will be companies who will supply that need.
Humans have become such a travesty to nature.
8
I like both Impossible and Beyond Meats products, except for the price. However there is competition. I've had several plant based "meat" substitutes that get very close to these two leaders.
A back handed compliment for these food companies is that a vegan friend of mine will not touch this stuff, he says its too "meaty."
A quibble on your chorizo comment. There is a vegetarian version of chorizo, "soyrizo," available for a long time at several grocery stores that are outstanding.
I prefer it to regular chorizo because its spicier compared these chorizo. I have a couple of packages in the fridge right now I use with my omelettes. Its not possible to use them all within a few days so I ignore the use by dates :) My stomach has not yet complained.
4
I actually like veggie burgers that taste like veggie burgers. Vegetarian food is so insecure. Have some self-confidence, vegetarian food! You don't have to pretend to be meat.
25
@Jon Some of the veggie burgers out there that do not taste like meat are pretty tasty are are inexpensive to make. We have some bean burger mix we bought in bulk that is really tasty and it stores a long time in your pantry. You can use it in casseroles and other dishes too.
1
"Though sausages form the backbone of the menu, my team and I believed that people who don’t eat meat should be able to dine in mixed company without feeling that they were second-class citizens, or that their meal consisted of a series of side dishes, as they so often do at restaurants." Kenji, THANK YOU for writing and believing this. I wish other chefs -- especially here in Nashville -- shared your thoughts. Please keep leading by example!
11
@KeKe Driver
Certainly is a 'new beginning' but as being Pescatarian or Vegetarian is only partway towards a full understanding of the terrible effects on those who provide the dairy & eggs and to our environment. Also eating eggs & dairy bring some of the worst health repercussions anyone not on a completely whole food, plant based will likely experience.
Vegans "should be able to dine in mixed company w'out feeling that they are second class citizens" as often even the vegetables are cooked in ghee/butter, bean soups use chicken broth instead of veg. w'no discernible diff in taste, & there is NO alternative to dairy cheese for that burger!
2
@KeKe Driver Second class citizens? I think there is a lot of better-than-thou snobbery in the vegan/vegetarian community. There are millions in this country who can barely afford to purchase any food, much less 100% organic, vegan. locally sourced and on and on the vegans eat. If restaurants served only pricey vegetarian dishes, they'd go out of business for lack of customers. These vegetarian places are typically located in big population areas.
1
The content of the article certainly did not live up to its title.
Are you kidding? The only way to eat more plant food is to create something that looks like, feels like, cooks like, and supposedly tastes like meat-based foods?
I'd like my 3 minutes of reading time back, please.
5
@jo This article EXACTLY lives up to its title. It is specifically about cooking with plant based meats which are fairly new on the scene (for most Americans), and something that many might like advice on using. I like my veggies too, but I found this article helpful. If you don't want to use these products, that's just fine. There are plenty of articles and books out there about vegetarian and vegan cooking that do not emphasize plant based meats.
2
How do these beef substitutes work with the Indian dish Keema?
3
I'm amazed at all the "outrage" that they're called "plant-based meats" when they don't contain animal flesh. Nobody is being fooled into eating something they don't want. I never realized carnivores were such snowflakes.
15
@MarcS They're NOT meat! They're non-meat patties. As for your lofty realization about those who eat meat, that's some "outrage" on your part.
2
@MarcS
I don't think it's carnivores generally---but it certainly is the beef lobby that is bent out of shape. They want to find every way possible to suppress commerce in vegetable-based meats. The same is true of the dairy lobby, which is waging jihad on products like Soy Milk.
11
As I’m sure everyone knows already...
From Miriam Webster
Definition of meat
1a : FOOD
especially : solid food as distinguished from drink
b : the edible part of something as distinguished from its covering (such as a husk or shell)
Only the secondary definition refers to animal tissue. Definitions beyond that have nothing to do with animal tissue.
7
Hmmmm....plant based “meat”.
Having just a little trouble with this. The way of the future.
Insect based “meat.”
Meat is meat, isn’t it? A plant is a plant, isn’t it? Perhaps an insect is more than an insect after all.
My poor analogue brain struggles with this. If this is the way of the future, well, I suppose it doesn’t really matter. I’ll be done in a few more years, Pretty good ride so far, let’s see what lies ahead.
Steak, anyone??
3
Kenji - as a meat eater I’ve read your stuff for many years. Happy to see you covering the fake meat, interesting read. Keep up.the good work. Your mom must be very proud that you made the Times
1
I've been using Field Roast plant-based sausages for several years. I use the Italian sausage in spaghetti sauce.
5
@Barbara T Their apple/sage sausage is delicious.
3
Vital wheat gluten lights my insides on fire. It’s nice to have a pea protein based product where veggie eaters can join in on the fun. The saturated fat is concerning but what if we all just ate in moderation? I’m still not convinced coconut oil fat saturation is the same game as animal fat.
1
I take a bit of an exception to the claim that meat substitutes have been "abysmal" before Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods. If people looked outside their typical grocery stores, they would have realized that there have been a wealth of imitation meat products that replicate some types of meats beautifully.
My East Asian grocery store in NC and DC had amazing shredded beef, or fake ham blocks, or imitation chicken. Many vegetarian Chinese restaurants use tofu skin (also easily obtainable from most Chinese stores) as imitation duck because of its nice layers and bite, which mimics the crunchy duck skin. They'll use seaweed wrapped around fake meat (usually soy or gluten based) to create fake fish. These fake meats can be used to create tasty dishes, though typically more suited for non-American dishes. If you want to make a Chinese dish, skip the overpriced fake ground meat and use these.
Or use some of the fake meats that are already widely available in a western grocery store made from seitan or tempeh or tvp. Maybe add yeast extract or vegetable bouillon to provide the umami.
If you're in the UK, try Quorn, which makes a good substitute for fake chicken in stews.
Beyond Meats and Impossible Foods have made a decent tasting meat substitute, and marketed it admirably, but their product is not revolutionary in anything other than its ability to seize the general American public's imagination through its fascination with needing to see something "bleed".
7
@Sherry Sorry, but the Beyond/Impossible ground "beef" is light years ahead of what was previously on the market for making burgers, "meatballs", etc.(and I don't care about seeing it bleed).
3
@Sherry
Quorn is readily available at supermarkets such as Ralph's (Kroger's) in the San Diego area. I especially like their sliced "turkey" (in the refrigerated section), and their ground "meat" (in the frozen food section). Quorn has the additional advantage of being soy free.
Now they need to work on more plant-based cheeses!!
5
@Lynn If you have not tried Miyoko's Creamery yet - get some straight away! These plant-based cheeses are absolutely incredible.
4
@Lynn
Do 'search' NYTImes for just that! Since you made the comment NYT's has done a substantial article on just that very thing. Quite interesting that the 'comments' section has not 'grown up much' in that year and a half!
1
@Lynn Plant-based yogurts and cheese sales have tanked. Existing brands are struggling to maintain their foothold in these competitive categories. Overall plant-based dairy sales, except for 'milks', have dropped over the past two years since they peaked during 2020.
1
I don't understand why anyone would want to eat plant-based meat. I can have a very healthy and delicious veggie sandwich if I so wish. Why should I consume all the salt and chemicals in the plant-based meat and cause further polluton of our environment in the production and transportation process.
6
Rover Cheung
Just because I am vegetarian and mostly enjoyed vegetables and grains in their more natural state, doesn’t mean I don’t occasionally enjoy junk foods just like meat eaters. You don’t have to understand.
9
@Robert Cheung
I shunned them for several years after becoming a plant-based eater, but I have to say that I find some of them delicious and I like to eat them once or twice a month.
It's really just a nice change of pace.
8
Merriam-Webster : Meat 1) a: Food, solid food as opposed to drink. I do hope this simple definition settles it. I appreciate any dialog that concerns animal welfare, the enivironment and human responsibility thereof. Wursthall is basically a meat heavy restaurant. Serving 1 meatless entree is his answer to the latest headlines and pressure about the serious consequences of the meat industry. It's also a good business practice and free advertisement in NYT. Smashing the Impossible meat (food) is the 1st clue of his unfamiliarity with plant based foods. Thankfully, he strives to make corrections. My family has been enjoying meat-like foods for years. We find humble Morning Star and Gardein makes some fine choices. Gardein Crumbles are excellent. We use them intermittently when convenience and nostalgia kick in. We cook from scratch otherwise. It would serve Kenji well to admit how dependent he is on beleaguered animals for his restaurant. His fear of changing things up. That would be courageous. We need courage. It's the one big thing that stands in the way of securing a better future for everyone.
5
Now can these companies find a way to omit the plastic packaging. Please.
17
Ever since I did vegan Lent I have been eating a lot less meat. I would say the Beyond and and Impossible burgers etc. are like Starbucks. They aren't a destination but they're OK for a pit stop...if you're having a BBQ serving burgers you've got a veg option. I'd rather have veg than beef wouldn't go out of my way to get one.
It's either meat or a plant. It can't be both.
2
I am a vegan. I like Veggie burgers and fake meats. The fake meats spare animals, but have a lot of saturated fat and thus are not good for heart health. IF I were raised as a vegan, I would never have experienced animal products and would not miss them. Thus, fake meats would be unnecessary.
Raise your children as whole food plant-based vegans and they will NEVER need fake meat.
6
I got nothing against plant based meat manufacturing and consumption, but after being vegan/vegetarian for the past 30 or so years, the idea of fake meat is completely unappealing. I've tried the Beyond Burger twice and it made me sick to my stomach twice.
5
I moved on at plant-based "meat."
1
Not at all interested in processed "Franken-food" like this. Give me real meat.
2
What’s a McNugget? Meat? Animal byproduct fried.
5
...OK,...so what I 'get' from this article is that 'meatless' burgers are improving in their ability to simulate real meat,...but are highly dependent on prep-methods and all sorts of garnishes to stimulate our taste buds. Seems like ground, meatless meat still has a 'way to go',...and is somewhat misdirected. You don't see meat trying to masquerade as plants so why should plants masquerade as meat? If you want to eat mostly plants then go ahead. If you want to eat a 'true burger' (that's with meat),...then go ahead. Whatever makes you satiated!
...As a final note, which the article doesn't deal with,...the ridiculously high sticker price of meatless meat is another factor which roils most people thinking about trying it!
5
@USEAGLE
As stated repeatedly w'in these comments. REAL meat is highly subsidized by the USDA, as is both milk & gasoline also! We here in America pay roughly 1/2 to 1/3 less for these commodities as ANY other C'try! One of the worst effects of this is that in any less than affluent household children seldom have vegetables or whole grains when mac & cheese along w'the highest fat content of ground beef are the most frequently served foods! This is repeated w'in our school system in any school B'fast & Lunch program. Is it any wonder we have kids w'cholesterol issues while they are still in primary schools!
4
@Karen NBvW You pay more for these fake meat products because there isn't a big market for it. With fewer inventory turns, it costs comparatively more to keep them on menus and on store shelves. They costs a lot of money to make. Prices strive to re-capture the millions of dollars in research lab sunk-costs. Compared to other food products, there are relatively few factories pumping out fake meat. There isn't as much competition to effectively drive down prices. Plus, the bigger players are actively exercising their muscle to acquire or put smaller players out of business. The agrigultural ingredients get subsidies.
1
I take issue with the whole concept. If you find meat objectionable then stop calling it meat. Period. You're just exploiting animal protein for your own personal gain. These plant based foods are a lot of things. Meat isn't one of them.
3
my uncle who was not a vegetarian grew up during the depression in the south.
when he was a little boy one of his uncles took him to a slaughter house. He told me that if anyone ever visited a slaughter house they would never eat meat again.
8
If it is plant based it is NOT meat. "Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food." - Wikipedia, Britannica, many others
1
@Bruce1253
Sorta like ‘false news”.
Maybe the margarine man is right!
STOP calling it plant-based "meat." There is no such thing as "plant-based" meat.
It is plant-based protein.
1
Someone please explain this trend? To me it appears to be a hypocritical milestone. A vegan or vegetarian, who does not eat meat buying a product that ressembles meat.... are you admitting that you miss meat? That you need to trick yourself? That you made a choice that goes against human nature, after all we are omnivores?
2
@arm19
it seems that the whole world needs burgers ....
1
@arm19
I am a vegan and I occasionally eat plant-based burgers. I definitely don't miss eating animal muscle tissue! Nope, not at all. But sometimes I want a sandwich, or a burger. Like for lunch. Or at someone's backyard BBQ. 4th of july...you get it. And these need fillings. So sure, I will happily eat salads and sides, but eating a bean burger (or Beyond burger) doesn't mean I miss beef - I just like to eat some protein between some carbs! Simple really.
5
@arm19
Perhaps by 'habit' we have become 'omnivores' but anthropology & both current science & medicine would suggest very differently!
In each of the 1/2 dozen 'blue zones' where people often live well into their 100s & live WELL, doing so as active & alert family & friends the amount of 'land animal' foods is a very small part of 'everyday' diet. Some of these areas do eat fair amounts of fish, but this is a resource we all should learn to not need as it has become a quickly disappearing resource!
Animals considered 'meat eaters' are those considered to have flesh tearing teeth & very short digestive systems so that dead flesh does not putrefy when it takes longer to digest fully. I have not met a single person in my life who would a slab of raw flesh, even w'a knife & fork in hand as dinner!
3
Meat alternatives: Rice and other grains, beans. Cook according to whatever recipe you like.
1
@Johnson02118
I make great burgers with black beans. they come out great.
1
Outside of those with a beef allergy I don't see how these are any healthier than the real thing. First of all they contain just about the same amount of saturated fat as beef due to all the coconut oil they contain and secondly they are highly processed.
1
@peversma it is not made out of dead animals.
1
Whatever they are, they are not meats. Please find another name. Meat implies muscle. If plant based, they are sources of protein, but not meats, nor will they taste like animal based foods. It's an oxymoron, and bound to disappoint due to unfulfilled expectations. Rather like tofu. It's not a meat, but a food unto itself. Call this stuff something else. I've tried it and found it wanting.
6
See, this comments section is being spammed by either bots or fake accounts from the meat industry. Meat in no way implies "muscle" that is a complete fiction. There are no "unfulfilled expectations," consumers are smart enough to know that one product tastes different than another product. Moreover, vegan meats taste more like meat than 90% of the deli meats and bottom-grade hamburger and rubber-chicken we are served every day. For that matter, we should call beef "cow" and pork "pig" if you really believe in truth in advertising.
45
Stop calling it meat, it is not meat
People need to come up with a different name and move them to their own section while you're at it
Finally, do the same with those white plant juices that pollute the fridges housing the actual milk
4
Why so offended about something that people are making for those who are concerned about animals and the environment? Most of us grow up eating traditional milk from cows and meat from animals. It makes the most sense to call the imitations by what they are imitating! It also makes it easier for everyone to make the transition away from such a heavy dairy, egg, and meat-based culture.
23
I'm looking for the rich juicy homo sapien meat taste, without the guilt, when will they create the alternative?
1
When will we have pretend carrots made from meat?
3
Forget plant-based meat. Eat your vegetables.
3
Why bother consuming imitations of anything? If the idea of eating meatless meat is attempt at going natural, just sticke with the real thing. Otherwise we're just doing a disservice to the environement and the living world. It's not difficult to make delicious tasty vegetarian and vegan dishes that are really what they are, pure and simple. Meatless meat is just another feel-good gimmick for those wanting to be in the trend. Skip all that additives and energy consuming processing and live the real life to help save the world.
4
@BB "Real" meat is far more destructive to the environment than "fake" meat, and there are those of us who like to occasionally shape our vegetables into patties and place them between pieces of bread.
I'm also speaking as an 18-year vegan who doesn't mind eating steamed vegetables every night, but who likes a little variety.
8
I’m a vegetarian who normally subscribes to your thinking, but I’m also a cook. The revolution in meatless dining is for omnivores too, it’s for people who eat fast food, out of necessity, more often than they’d like. Fast food places aren’t going to make you a stupendous polenta with pesto and pistachios, but they will gladly serve and charge you for an Impossible burger. Don’t know why you’d be against a new industry or a new market for products that are more gentle on the environment.
9
Having been vegan for more than thirty years for ethical, environmental and health reasons, I have never felt either deprived or moralistic. These are good choices but may not be yours. Nonetheless, it’s certainly progress for people who eat food to make responsible choices and if your burger alternatives include portobello, roasted vegetables and fake meat, like seitan and tempeh, your health and your neighbors’ welfare cannot but expand.
9
@PoDoc
Portobello mushroom burgers are amazing. I've ben eating them for 20 years and I'm always surprised at how much like a meat burger they taste.
4
I don't understand the obsession for food that is shaped like a sandwich. I think the healthiest dishes are served in a bowl and eaten with a spoon. Bean dishes, rice dishes, pasta dishes. All delicious and no animal products.
7
@Nick What? This is some weird intersectional righteousness. Is your beef (pun intended) with meat eating or food serves between bread? I personally feel secondhand smoke is a public nuisance but think the teal societal horror is people who spend time indoors.
2
Variety is the slice of life. Sometimes you just want a sammy.
2
Thanks for this helpful article. We’ve tried the Impossible burger at home, and generally liked it, but with lots of toppings and brioche buns from our bakery. I currently have two Beyond burgers in the fridge waiting to be cooked, but we haven’t been excited to do that.
We’re trying to eat healthier- more whole and less processed foods, more vegetables and less meat. The number of processed ingredients in the alt-meats is very concerning, however.
Everyone in my family is anemic, so giving up red meat isn’t really an option for us. I actually crave sometimes a medium-rare steak with sautéed spinach on the side.
So we’ve made major changes in where we purchase our meats, poultry, eggs, and dairy- opting for small organic producers 45 minutes away, with antibiotic-free, free-range, and humanely harvested products. We also buy only organic produce, through a local CSA and the grocery. I grind our meat when we want a burger. In this way we eat better food, with more nutrients, and lessen our carbon footprint. Which more than makes up for the environmental impact of our meat-eating.
I recognize I am incredibly fortunate to be able to eat this way, as it is expensive, and demands more time. But I also firmly believe everyone needs the freedom to be able to arrive at the best mix of solutions to the dilemma of how to feed their own families.
2
Both Beyond and Impossible burgers fill a void well - they closely approximate burgers made from animals. Thus, transitioning from an animal-based to a plant-based diet can feel satisfying, until this need to replicate the traditional steps aside and allows the fascinating and delicious world of plant-based foods to grace the table. This article seems to focus on the need to taste like a traditional animal meat burger, rather than applauding these alternatives for their own merits as great tasting burgers. Again, moving “beyond” meat and into the plant-based world opens one up to dishes that don’t strive to be ‘meat and potatoes’. The world isn’t a giant tailgate party, and we don’t need to help send a heart surgeon’s child through college by continuing along the artery clogging diet the meat and dairy industry so desperately tries to keep us on (along with the pharmaceutical, fast food, and factory farming industries) Let’s applaud the Impossible and Beyond burgers for effectively making plant-based foods show up mainstream and forgiving us the need to remain quiet about eating them. Finally! And let’s all be more environmentally conscious while we’re at it. Progress is often a good thing - still lots to improve upon, but here’s a great first step. I wish the article was more positive. Two steps forward one step back...
5
This is heresy for the vegan crowd, as the first comment suggests, but has anyone tried mixing with ground meat?
An equal mix, for example, would decrease meat consumption by 50%, not a bad outcome, and if it encourages pure meat eaters to cut meat consumption by half, and to embark on the road to 100% vegetarian, is that not a good result?
I'll now step away from the keyboard and await the hate mail.
13
As someone who made his living working and teaching in the food industry as a chef, I can only applaud the advances in meat laternatives. Not so much from a health standpoint but from a moral one.
Anyone who has even briefly looked at the US meat "industry" realizes billions of animals are mistreated and inflicted with pain and fear every year. As someone who is pro-life in the real sense- repsecting all life- I must say anything that reduces or eliminates these conditions is to be applauded.
Meat and dairy farming are inherently cruel and barbaric and show no repsect for the suffereing of animals, which is very real. And when one looks at disatrous farming practices used to feed animals raised for meat, the situation is far worse.
Keep up the good work with the new products.
21
@Winewithachef: But yuo are not "Pro life" when one has to kill plants in order to nourish the body?
Good ideas, but it’s not vegan if you add cheese and fish sauce.
4
@GiGi There are vegan versions of these for those who are vegan. Most who eat these are not vegans.
3
Good article backed with thoughtful research. Meat substitutes have been available for decades and, as with meat, it is all about the quality of the condiments. They are both just that, condiment vehicles!
5
Why does no one tell the truth that the impossible burger contains soy and wheat and makes some people sick. It is the ultimate in hyper processed foods and like all plant based foods doers not contain essential nutrients needed by mammalian physiology.
4
@Robert Jackson
They don't have to eat it if it makes them sick. The ingredients are not secret. Many people are made sick by the saturated fats in beef, and on doctor's orders, avoid it.
As to nutrition required for mammalian physiology, animal meat is insufficient as well. This is why we eat a variety of foods.
12
@Robert Jackson That's why we are encouraged to read the ingredients of any food we eat. That's the truth that food manufacturers tell.
1
@Robert Jackson
'Meat' containers ONLY fat & protein! The higher % of these 'nutrients' in the total diet, the the LESS a human will thrive! FIBER (completely lacking in animal protein) along w'the multitude of micro/macro nutrients in a well balanced whole food plant based along w'sufficient protein if there are sufficient calories calorie is what humans need to thrive!
1
The Vegan burger look very enticing. One thing that would let me eat it is that my kidneys would not have to suffer due to the acid in red meat and I would not have to take allopurinol tablets to protect me from gout.
5
I am waiting for a meatless product that does not contain onion or garlic. I don't understand why garlic and onion need to be mixed into these things. Is there any manufacturer willing to make these straight up?
2
@Nancy Cohen
sorry - they are meatless , not tasteless
2
Meatless meat is just the latest version of 50s ideas. One day we will just take a pill with all nutrients, no need for sitting down for a meal. Replaced with the idea we will sit down for a meal where foods have magically been replaced by substitutes that are better for us and the planet. Just another way for the food industry to sell stuff with higher profit margins and huckster promises of better health.
2
It’s better for the environment, it’s a new industry that creates new jobs. Try to keep an open mind.
2
I've found the "Field Roast" brand sausages hold up very well being cut up and used in soups (favorite is an Spicy Italian Sausage and Lentil soup). Beyond Meat sausage falls apart and gets a bad texture in the same recipe.
3
@DJ I love Beyond Meat for burgers and "meatballs", but I agree that Field Roast makes the best sausages (I'm partial to their Apple and Sage).
1
My husband has gout, and he has stopped eating meat almost entirely to help curb his flare-ups. Real meat is now a treat, once or twice a month, and only in small amounts. The Beyond Meat and Impossible products help him feel better about his diet, giving him the taste of the meat he misses, but without the threat of pain.
3
@SWD
umm... , why eat ANYthing that causes pain ?
1
If you want a burger, eat a burger.
If you want to be a vegan or some convenient version of a vegetarian, know that restaurants, have come a long way from the grilled veg plate, all without the help of this funky smelling, weird textured and very well-marketed gunk.
Grains, legumes, veg, fruit, nuts, spices, herbs, etc. PLENTY of options out there to make great tasting dishes from all around the world.
4
@Patrick Henry
The business opportunity here is almost certainly not in replacing existing vegetables, grains, legumes, etc, but in replacing burgers, especially in fast food. I doubt these companies would bother if the total available market of 50 million burgers a year were not available. A 10% share of that at $0.20 each would be a billion dollars.
4
These "Franken-meats" may be vegetarian/vegan and not contain animal products, but these are some of the most processed foods on the planet. Take a look at the ingredients list of some of these things, or how much salt and fat there is inside them.
They have their place I suppose, plant-based "Franken-meats" are not so bad if one has to eat something fast, or fast food, or there is nothing else to eat when one is a vegetarian/vegan, but healthy? I suspect not.
4
@Bruce Not everything you eat needs to be healthy per your definition, just filling, providing nutrients and making us happy.
1
No cholesterol is a big deal.
2
I use older-style vegan 'ground meat' (usually the Yves brand, in a lot of my recipes, and find that as long as the dish is well seasoned and I add the 'meat' RIGHT AT THE END, the texture and flavour are excellent. No need to brown, and no dryness from over cooking.
I agree that adding umami every way we can really helps, but I used to do that when I cooked w/'real' meat as well. Bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce (yes, there are vegan versions!), Marmite, tomato paste, parm rinds .... There are a zillion ways to do that. I've also always added booze to most meaty dishes; a bottle of beer in that big vat of chili, a cup of wine in the spag sauce ...
Not only are my resulting chili and 'Bolognese' sauce delicious and less hard on our environment, I serve them to meat eaters, and they usually don't realize they're eating vegan food until someone tells them. The goal is delicious food, and it's easier and easier to attain nowadays.
4
I have tried the Beyond ground product and the sausages. I do like them, but find that they produce persistent odors in my kitchen and on my clothes and hands. I assume this comes from "natural flavors" and the yeast based ingredients (often associated with umami).
6 years a vegetarian. I was at a restaurant last April, ordered a veggie burger, took one bite, and said, "They served me meat!" My husband thought so, too. The waitress said this happens all the time, and brought out the chef who brought out the box and showed me "Beyond Meat." I turned to my husband and said, "I don't know finance, but I know taste. Buy the stock." Thank you Beyond, magical timing in the next two weeks. We did very well! I have been a loyal patron since. I don't eat a veg. burger for health, but for a once a week meal I can share with non-vegetarians, and no one really knows or cares. Game changer!
14
@E
Look at the ingredients list, and the amount of salt and fat in these products.
2
@Bruce Salt and fat aren't animals.
1
@E ....after being veg for 6 years, are you sure you remember what real meat tastes like?!
I have enjoyed Beyond Meat burgers on my grill. It's pretty convincing to me, an old-school carnivore. At about $3.00 per patty, it's fairly priced. It's not as filling as a meat patty, and in no way approximates the sizzle and smoke of, say, a chuck burger. But it's very good and I buy them often.
3
I've tried "Beyond Meat" and "Impossible". Impossible is my preference, and my husband agrees. It cooks similarly to ground beef and can be used in dishes one might use beef: omelettes, burgers, stuffed peppers, meatballs, meatloaf. It retains texture, taste, color. Beyond Meat is slightly off, but acceptable, in the same categories, by comparison.
@Louis Anthes
Have you tried the Morningstar Farms Grillers Prime. They make some simpler less expensive products that taste better to me, but these types of foods are not for me in general.
I really appreciated the time and care and thought that the writer put into this article.
Rather than just opining, he has put in the time to experiment and share with us the mistakes and successes of his efforts.
I feel enriched from reading!
21
Honestly, the only thing more gross than red meat is fake red meat. There is a new vegan restaurant 5 minutes from my house, very exciting in a vegetarian desert like Richmond, until I looked at the menu - every single dish is fake meat, every one. Why?! There are plenty of great real vegetarian dishes without this stuff, thank you very much.
13
@Larry
EXACTLY .... we have a restaurant like that here, and not only is it all fake meat, but it is expensive as heck! I think people are fooling themselves if they think these places are really vegan/vegetarian.
Honestly, the only thing more gross than red meat is fake red meat. There is a new vegan restaurant 5 minutes from my house, very exciting in a vegetarian desert like Richmond, until I looked at the menu - every single dish is fake meat, every one. Why?! There are plenty of great real vegetarian dishes without this stuff, thank you very much.
@Larry Exactly! Give me a good black bean "burger" any day. And please, vegetarians want more than fake meat and salads - there are so many delicious legumes with complex tastes that don't try to BE meat or even meaty.
4
As a vegan, I eat fresh whole grains, brown rice, beans, vegetables, fruits, nuts etc. Why should they look like hamburgers? What’s the point? Just cook interesting vegan or vegetarian meals! You can keep your sausages for omnivores. I don’t want all the additives, extra salt, MSG, faux meat flavors to make my meals “ fit in”. Let me eat clean food. To each their own.
16
@Lennie Mullaney
There are so many reasons to eat less or no animal meats; ethics and animal and human rights, the environment, health... Not every vegetarian or vegan avoids meat because they don't like it! Many miss those flavours and textures.
I cook 'interesting' vegetarian and vegan dishes from scratch most of the time, but I'm really pleased to be able to have a tasty and moist burger or, best of all, a really yummy fake bacon once in a while. I stopped eating meat, but still love the taste occasionally!
And if these, admittedly over-processed, foods help more people reduce or stop meat consumption, I am a FAN! Later I can show them how delicious Butter Tofu is, or my zillion very different lentil recipes!
3
@Lennie Mullaney The point is replacing some of the 50 billion fast food burgers sold every year.
4
I bought Impossible Burger once, out of curiosity. I didn't like the feel of making the raw hamburger patties (very grainy), but once I broiled them, they tasted fine to me. Even my meat burgers end up well done (not my preference, but that's what happens), so I found no difference.
I haven't bought it since, because it costs more than hamburger, but I'd happily eat another vegan burger.
To take vegan and vegetarian options seriously and make it a success it will mean not merely changing meat with non meat alternatives, it will mean complete change of cultural mind set
I am an Indian belong to one of the most well-known plant-based societies of religious origin.
Indian cooking is a science and an art. To cook a healthy and nourishing Indian meal requires understanding of how spices work together.
Traditional Indian cooking is still handed down from generation to generation. Indian cooking leaves room for individual expression and thus every time you make the "same" dish, it will be different.
The traditional house wives have developed a fine sense for proportions in cooking and avoid waste. They believe in variety is the spice of life
Most Indian kitchens are small and often have little in terms of utensils, yet it is amazing how many delicious masterpieces emerge from these kitchens. You do not need much for Indian cooking but what you definitely need for authentic and well balanced Indian cooking are the spices.
Every Indian kitchen has a Masala box. This stainless steel box contains the spices that are regularly used in the cooking to store a greater number of spices.
13
@N.G Krishnan These are common spices enriching a typical Indian pantry. These aromatic spices are used for cooking and the outcome of using these spices are great food and great colour. However besides the taste, the spices also prove to be useful for our health. Here is a list showing the different spices which are used by the Indian households in their everyday cooking
Cumin/Jeera, Turmeric/Haldi, Cinnamon/Dal-Chini, Cardamom/Elaichi, Clove/Long, Bay Leaf/Tej Patta, Fenugreek/Methi, Nutmeg/Jayaphal, Black Pepper/Gul-Mohor, Asafoetida/Hing, Mace/Gada, Fennel/Saumph, Star Anise/Chakra Phool,Curry Leaves, Caraway Seeds/Kala Jeera, Nigella Seeds/Kalonji, Mint/Pudina, Dill/Soa and Mustard Seeds/Sarso
9
@N.G Krishnan and my favorite: coriander seed/Dhaniya
2
@N.G Krishnan
I've said for decades that if you actually LIKE food, you can't be vegetarian without learning to cook Indian dishes! I am eternally grateful for those generations of people who figured out how to make simple, healthy foods so delicious!
The more variety and flavour we can bring from every corner of the world, the easier it will be for everyone to reduce or eliminate meat from their diets.
5
I spent the first 50 years of my life as an omnivore. At 51 I went vegetarian. My diet is now almost entirely plant based. I did this for multiple reasons; health, environmental concerns, animal cruelty etc. That said, I am careful not to judge or lecture others as this is my choice. The only point I feel compelled to drive home is that highly processed, industrial food is not a good thing no matter what your diet consists of. Bad for your health and bad for the planet. Eat natural foods.
20
Heavily processed faux "meat" is almost a parody of AMerican taste. Vegan and vegetarian cooking have totally different flavor pallets from meat based cooking. Using these "vegan fast foods" gets you strange tasting dishes that are chemical compromises for real meat dishes. Vegan cooking, with some effort to learn the spicing and sauce making necessary, is tasty and healthy without trying to taste like a hamburger. Plant-based meats are a waste of money and effort.
5
I’m just amazed at the number of people who seem to be very concerned about what someone else wants to eat, or even has available for them to choose.
8
TVP- Texturized Vegetable Protein. You can buy it in the health food store. This is a cheap food product made mostly from soy beans, and you can prepare it any way you want. It is a highly processed food and any highly processed food should be be consumed with caution and infrequency. Vegan diets should focus on the many food which are less processed and by food combining to create complete proteins, like rice and beans. Fresh vegetables and fruit can never be substituted for highly processed factory foods like TVP.
4
@Heidi Ng
It's actually helpful to remind people who want to reduce or cut out meat in their diets that we don't need to combine proteins at the same meal. As long as complementary foods are eaten within the same day, our bodies will take what they need very easily.
And who doesn't eat some kind of grain-based food at some point in a day when they eat legumes? Doesn't even require extra thought or attention.
1
I grew up with Bolognese sauce - made with ground beef - in the freezer at all times as a standby meal and continued this with my own family into my own 50’s.
I now make it with Gardein ‘crumbles’ which have a better nutritional profile (and a lower price!) than Beyond or Impossible.
Adding a little vege stock concentrate paste and with a little extra olive oil makes it at least as good or better than the beef based version and substantially healthier.
Doing right by animals and the environment is an added bonus.
10
@Mark Mark I like those too. Their ultimate meatless burgers are quite good as well, with a minimum of ingredients and good nutrition numbers. They are my go to brand.
3
Cows make the best plant based meat.
9
Plant-based meat is like meat-based quinoa. Neither exist.
6
I am confused by the virulence of many of the comments here, particularly the frustration expressed about plant-based protein. Everyone’s choice about what to eat, including whether to consume food sources that come from man’s use of animals, is their own. That growing numbers of people choose to consume food that is not animal-based and is significantly more environmentally sustainable than food from industrial feedlots and large dairy farms is surely a good thing for everyone, in that some animals and the environment we all depend on are a bit better off.
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@Nancy Koehn
Ithinkthe point is why even try to replicate meat? If you are not eating meat, then eat the plants. What is the purpose of bastardizing the vegetables to make them taste like meat?
Honor your vegetables for what they are.
3
@garlic11
Because some of us LIKE meat, we just CHOOSE not to eat it!
3
Thank you, Kenji. As a scientist, I value experimentation. But I also value being able to benefit from others successful and failed experiments so that I am not constantly having to reinvent the wheel. Your experiments with vegan meat are a real service to the food community. Now, to try some recipes. Also, please consider sharing your hambagu recipe. That has me intrigued.
9
It is not meat.
As a scientist you should probably value the naming of things. loaf, splooge, vegetable paste, name it what you will, but please not meat.
I cannot comprehend why someone would eat highly processed vegetable puree mocked up to simulate animal protein. If one wants to be a vegan or vegetarian, fine, enjoy your vegetables. If you want a burger, have a burger.
If the concern is about ethical treatment of your food, find a source of meat where you know the name of the farmer.
Editor’s note: This comment has been anonymized in accordance with applicable law(s).
8
Why can’t I eat what I want regardless of what I call myself or my motivation
I don’t want to eat meat for a variety of reasons. Occasionally I like plant based meat substitutes. I don’t have to explain it to you
Cheryl
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@Canada4411
Not surprised about no feelings for the suffering animals but do you give a 's___t' about the life your kids & g'kids will have?!?!?! W'out serious curtailment of all the environmental issues connected w'our animal based food system the less likely those future generations will have ANY semblance of the lives we seniors have lived!
1
If you consider 140 "medium-well" for a steak, then what temp do you consider medium rare?
Fantastic, more hype about a product Big Food can over produce under the dreaded processed food category. The healthiest category in the food chain.
1
Completely forgotten in the bruhaha of "real, fake, vegetarian or synthesized from chemical elements meat" is the pescatorian diet. True, fish and seafood are more expensive, as my wife always points out to me, in countering my desire to buy a lobster or black caviar. But, one lives only once ...
4
@Tuvw Xyz
The sustainability of many fish and seafood species is a concern, as is the damage and poor quality resulting from 'fish farming'. (Perhaps it would be better if we called that 'industrial seafood production.)
Never mind what global warming will do to fish and shellfish stocks ....
3
Here's my problem. As a vegan I don't want to eat something like meat. I am not the target demographic for these products.They're great for meat eaters who want to have a meat free meal or for vegetarian or vegan folks who miss meat. It is frustrating that many restaurants are changing from delicious in restaurant made patties with mushrooms or beans as the base to Impossible and Beyond Meat products. Now there is no option for me. Also, please don't add Parmesan or other cheeses with rennet in them to vegetarian/Vegan dishes...they aren't vegetarian. More awareness of the ingredients in products would be amazing as more chefs aim for plant based options. All efforts greatly appreciated as too often I've had the meal of side dishes described in the article.
24
Meatless meats and the eggless egg....
Really...?
5
@Rizzo There are also cocktails without alcohol and coffee without caffeine. The world is ending!
3
Boy, you meat-eaters sure are defensive about something that has zero effect on how you live your life.
43
@Colleen not nearly as defensive and obnoxious as vegans are.
3
It is NOT plant-based Meat, just a plant based substance regurgitated to resemble actual meat. Just like almond milk is not Milk. As other have pointed out, why make and label plant-based substances to resemble there real substance?
If you like it, good for you.
2
@Michael
The word "meat" originally meant food, not just the flesh of animals. So there is nothing inaccurate about using the term "meat" to describe plant-based foods with flavours and textures similar to flesh.
Perhaps the sellers of pig, cow, chicken, turkey and fish bodies should be required to use accurate terminology. If so, more people might be dissuaded from eating baby cow flesh and the like.
In the meantime, I'll enjoy by plant-based meat as an occasional treat.
27
How to cook with plant-based meats: Take the plant-based meat, toss it into the trash, get a real piece of meat and cook it.
From what I've seen on the labels of these supposedly "healthy" products, they have a load of fat and salt, with none of the nutritional benefits of real meat. Better to eat less meat overall.
12
@MassBear Or you know. Let them eat what they want and you eat what you want and leave it at that.
2
Why on earth would any self-respecting chef ever recommend the use of MSG? It's the epitome of lazy cooking. Unami can just as easily be created using a variety of other ingredients. Plus, it's a lot safer not to use MSG, a chemical that many are allergic or sensitive to.
5
@H. Stern every chef loves msg because they're not stuck in the 1960s.
17
Do not cook them. The world is not lacking interesting vegetarian cuisine. If you want to be a vegetarian, eat that. If you want to eat meat, and you can afford fake meat, eat responsibly raised meats in judicious amounts. Problem solved.
3
Why shouldn’t people have fake meat ?
17
The beef industry has invested heavily in a public disinformation campaign about vegan meats, including op-eds written by fake health institutes funded by the meat industry. Anybody on here stressing that the word "meat" is offensive when used for vegan meats, or that it matters that they are so "processed" or pretending salt isn't in burgers you get at any restaurant should be regarded with deep suspicion. Nobody cares about the word "meat," cows are tortured and doped up with antibiotics their whole lives, you'll never get a burger at a restaurant that hasn't been cooked in basically pure butter and then loaded with a gram of sodium (which also doesn't have any particular health hazards unless you have actively high blood pressure), yogurt is processed, and the myth that it's "more" vegan not to eat things that taste like animals is a disinformation lie: the point is that the animals aren't suffering. Getting rid of the animal industries entirely would also save needing to grow all the food to feed the animals, and the unbelievable amount of polluting waste the poor animals generate. Nobody cares if it's called a vegan meatball or a veg-ball, what matters is that it came from a cow that used to be alive, don't believe the hype.
46
Perhaps if plant-based "food" was not constantly called and/or equated with "meat", which it is not, people would intuitively figure out how to cook it.
I'm not currently a vegetarian and definitely not a vegan, but don't eat a lot of meat. First of all, the fast food places, etc. need to be forbidden to use the term "meat" in conjunction with the various plant-based burgers, etc. they are hawking these days. It's not meat. End of story. I get that they are trying to lure meat eaters into eating more plant-based products, but it's false advertising. I've had the Beyond Meat burger at A&W. It tasted good, but was loaded with salt and heaven knows what else. If you want a plant based "burger", make your own. You can make a delicious burger or meat loaf substitute out of black beans, chick peas or bulgur. I was a vegetarian at one point and did that. No additives, just whatever you put in it yourself and you'll at least know for sure what's in it. And you're not making a fast food chain rich in the process.
4
@Ann Yes, I agree with you on the Beyond Meat--much too salty and full of coconut oil (saturated fat). It did taste good, but I'm never going to buy it again for health reasons.
2
So vegans and vegetarians aren’t allowed to have their own version of junk food? That seems unfair :)
14
@Ann
Anybody who is misled by the 'meat' label has WAY worse problems to deal with than what they're eating ...
And who eats at A & W because they're looking for something healthy? Not me, certainly, and I am delighted that I can have a fast food burger occasionally, given my choice not to eat animals,
Bean or mushroom burgers are delish, but NOT at all like a 'regular' burger. I grew up eating meat, and miss that flavour and texture sometimes.
2
Thanks to a bite from a lone star tick, I can no longer eat any meat from a mammal. I can eat poultry and seafood, which I do sparingly -- mostly at restaurants because the veg/vegan options are usually pretty awful. But I do miss a nice burger now and again (frozen veggie burgers are mostly pretty awful), and these are an option -- they do need a lot of toppings, however. But I always liked my burgers that way. I will say that we should not regard these as a "whole food" by any means -- these faux meats are products of the industrial food complex.
1
All of the effort to get this chemical laden, industrial product to resemble meat should in and of itself point out how absurd the whole “vegan meat” concept is. If you don’t want to eat meat just eat vegetables and other plant based foods instead. All of the complicated processing and extra additives are not good for anyone except the food industry.
14
A lot of people are awfully concerned about what others eat. Some people want the taste of meat without consuming red meat.
I don’t understand why some restaurants default to putting cheese on a veggie burger.
6
@GI
well , I'll tell ya , I am a gigging musician and a few years ago I decided to compare the menus at the venues . I asked always for well done with swiss cheese and red onion . ALWAYS came with lifeless lettuce and tomatoes . I think the back room staff is on auto-pilot .
Hi Kenji,
Thanks for this great and timely article, I was just wondering what to do with some Beyond Ground "Beef" last night. I'm curious what your take on braising it is? Same way as you might braise a ground beef chili? Thanks! Always appreciate your insightful columns.
5
I will not eat any fake meat.
7
A plant is not an animal; plant product is not an animal product. A vegetable made to resemble a meat dish such as a beef burger is an imitation of beef, and not "plant-based beef." Sloppy thinking.
7
That should be "meat substitute".
2
How does sous vide work for this kind of protein?
1
We tried those new vegan burgers.
To me, they tasted like vegetables, crunchy, kinda like chopped string beans laced with spices -- certainly not like hamburgers.
I didn't like them.
We don't have red meat often, and ersatz doesn't cut it. My occasional burger or steak will not topple the environment.
Nor will my nightly glass of milk.
6
umm, why did I get an email entitled ‘How to cook with fake meat’ from NYT cooking that includes a recipe with ground pork?? Feels like click bait for non-meat eaters!
I'd tentatively come to the same conclusion before I read this. It seems to do best "grizzled up" into a sauce or chilli; I will have to try the meatballs also. But my first try was a 12-oz package of "Ground" [sic]. I split it in half and made two thick burgers from it, cooked them in a skillet, slapped them on potato buns. They browned a bit too much, but the insides were like medium-rare beef. They were pretty darned good burgers, enhanced with with sliced raw sweet onion and condiments. The same brand of Italian sausage lacked the desired spicing and texture; I wanted to grizzle it up too, but instead had to slice it up and brown the slices before adding them to spaghetti sauce. If anyone knows of a good brand of vegan Italian sausage that can be crumbled up and "grizzled" in a skillet, please post!
4
@Ariel B
One of the comments here recommended highly the 'Beyond Sausage (s)he removed from the casing for just this!
The best plant-based meat is meat; from beef, lamb, pork, chicken, duck. But not fish. Fish do not eat plants, though many do eat chlorophyll-based life forms. In case people didn't know, cattle, lambs, pigs, chicken, ducks, and other animals that eat plants are vegetarians. So their flesh is plant-based. The plant-based meat you are trying to cook with is plant-based, but it is not meat.
5
@Maurie Beck Chickens, ducks and pigs are not vegetarians. All will hunt, kill and eat other animals (or insects).
5
@David Katz Thank you. People don't seem to know that chickens are insectivores (and will eat small reptiles too).
when i saw the headline for this article, i thought - finally, all the vegetarians and vegans who complain in the comments section of meat recipes will be able to have the week off, where they can instead celebrate the NYT and the author for doing what they have asked for week after week - promoting and developing plant-based recipes for health, ethical, and environmental reasons.
instead, i find most of the comments here from those same people fall along the lines of:
- i’m a vegetarian/vegan, i would never eat this bc the product offends me and i don’t want to eat anything that is similar to meat or
- i’m a vegetarian/vegan, and i like other veggie burgers better or
-i’m a vegetarian/vegan, and people who eat this processed junk are missing the point
no, YOURE missing the point! this is a product largely aimed at meat eaters to promote less meat consumption! you should be THRILLED the NYT is investing in articles like this, as this is what you have been ASKING for.
my takeaway from this article - you truly can’t please everyone, even when you give them exactly what they want.
50
@sca Thank you! This is almost as bad as reading Twitter replies.
2
@sca There are 2 camps the meat subs are aimed at. The meat-eater and *some* vegans/vegetarians who crave a burger like taste now and then. And, yes, the NYT is to be applauded for continued coverage of this vital subject. I was disappointed in this piece. I'm bugged that they choose chefs who are under pressure to address the issue but not upfront about their economic motives to appear here. Kenji continues to stick to his former menu except for the lone vegetarian one. I wouldn't call this enlightened. The last I looked, every NYT Cooking staff chef is omnivore. A NYT dedicated vegan/vegetarian chef who understands how to prepare robust, healthy fare would be a great addition. We need real change. Like climate change mitigation, we need solid commitment from everyone to step up, not a half-hearted foot in the door. Imagine, COVID-19 may have never emerged if people heeded the warnings of the grave consequences of destructive practices on wildlife and their habitats. But, here we are, it's all interrelated.
3
As a vegetarian, I just don’t get it. Why would I want a meat alternative? I don’t want to eat meat—especially a fake, unappealing substitute. I am happy, well-fed and feel great eating veggies, fruit, tofu, quinoa and beans...
8
Made Alison Roman’s one pot meatballs with sauce and Beyond Meat for meat
Free meatballs. It was really good! Literally no changes to the recipe ( ok I added a pinch of sugar to the sauce ‘cause my momma always told me to). Delicious! Thanks for the tips Kenji
3
@Claudia Hackworth
Free meatballs. It was really good!
No it wasn't.
@Maurie Beck Sure, let's call them Free meatballs because of my typo, that's no problem. Thanks! I should trademark that....
While the plant based burger is surprisingly tasty, I’ve found it does best on an outdoor grill, watched v carefully. The stuff needs grill smoke to jazz up the flavor a couple notches. Sliced tomatoes and red onions a must. But hey, his is just the first round. Beyond Meat is always tinkering with its products. What is disappointing are the cost and calories for plant-based burger etc. it’s expensive, and you aren’t buying a low-cal option to real beef.
2
Some hear gainsay the need for plant-based burgers or make disparaging comments. This is counterproductive for society and the environment.
As the book, "Fast Food Nation" pointed out, the fast food industry is so enormous that changes in the pipelines to that industry have a huge impact on society and the Earth. For instance, the author pointed out that a very large percentage of the loamy soil of Idaho is dedicated to producing potatoes for french fries. And that land and the potatoes that come from the land are just doused with chemicals.
If they perfected the plant-based burger, and it took hold in fast food operations and in homes, that would significantly lower the number of cattle raised and concomitant methane produced.
So here's hoping the Impossible and Beyond burgers evolve into something very successful. It would be a significant step in the right direction. Especially through the very large pipeline that is the fast food industry.
Gourmands here would not deign to touch a plant-based burger. They do not have a clear view of the majority of their fellow Americans and their shoddy lifestyles. And they turn a blind eye to the byproduct of havoc wreaked on the environment.
13
@Wordsworth from Wadsworth Yes, but a ribeye sure is tasty!
A heart attack at 49 prompted my spouse and I to make some dietary changes. My spouse has hyperlipidemia (ultra high cholesterol, specifically LDL). Statin lowering meds are a huge help, but dietary changes are essential to limit cholesterol laden foods. A plant based diet, with the occasional plant-based meat substitute has been been a life changer for us. Eliminating beef, poultry and pork from our diet has had many positive effects that have made me a firm believer in a plant based diet. It’s nice to have decent tasting plant based alternatives that are actually adaptable for home cooks like me!
18
OK vegan activists, if you really want to see big growth to your religion, figure out a way to get the price of these products to significantly below that of animal meats. I’ll admit that the taste of these new ground meats isn’t bad and is almost there. Articles like this will help move beyond burgers. Further technological development and new products —and a few more big competitors—will help. But the big thing to grow market share, and to even create a paradigm shift, is to lower the price. Right now these foods cost a significant premium over real meats.
Are peas and soybeans really that costly? Someone is taking advantage of you, looking at the profits and valuations of the companies involved. If so few resources are used to make these products, as claimed, why aren’t they half the price of real meats? I don’t like feeling like a sucker. Now that the concept has been proven, let’s see a lot of well-financed competition and diving prices. That’s only when you’ll see real growth.
6
@SRP As a vegan I totally agree that these big corporation new vegan foods are a rip-off. However, as a vegan I never eat them (not do any of my vegan friends). We eat MUCH cheaper than meat eaters with real plants. My homemade veggie burgers have sweet potatoes, mushrooms, black beans, millet, (or oats or quinoa), BBQ sauce, spices. Google how to make veggie burgers and you’ll see countless delicious recipes. Good luck and happy eating!
8
@SRP
Development cost is built into the price, kind of like what Big Pharma does to us, right?!
4
As a vegan of over 10 years I’ve never touched a beyond burger or many of the newer meat substitutes (and have literally no desire for anything with the taste or texture of animal flesh). I’m really glad they exist and can be great transitional foods or a occasional treat for some. A true healthy vegan diet made up of Whole Foods Vegetables, fruits legumes (not processed substitutes) etc is actually far cheaper than the average SAD (standard American diet).
2
I stopped eating meat because I learned how cruelly food animals are raised and slaughtered.
Contrary to some opinions noted here, my motivation was not so much healthy eating, but empathy for slaughtered animals. That said, after years of eating animal fats, I do want to mimic some of the foods I have loved, and these plant based meats are the best alternatives to animal based meatballs, burgers, meatloaf, sausage, etc.
No, they do not have the same flavor but I accept that in favor of my belief.
37
There are many vegans who agree.
Plant-based "meats" are highly processed foods. The best things you can do is not buy them. On occasion, have a beef burger should you crave it. Otherwise, buy fresh vegetables and enjoy their delicious flavors.
5
I've tried these products and my conclusion is the best way to cook these 'fake meats' is not to buy them at all. They taste funky and have dubious nutrition. It's early in the game perhaps in this venue of 'meat' - it's still at the drawing board stage and debuted too soon. I'd sooner have a traditional beef burger OR a traditional quinoa/black bean 'burger' - both of which are real, vs. the current state of fake meat.
1
I’m a vegetarian but I am disturbed by the odor of pea protein ‘meats’. It’s difficult to describe beyond ‘funky’, like overcooked peas. So I’ve discovered that a healthy dose of spice like cumin, onion and garlic help to mask this.
2
I'd buy fake meat more often if it wasn't so much more expensive than actual meat.
4
@Matt I've been seeing prices around $6-8/lb , roughly the price for 'grass fed' burger meat. Is that typical?
2
@Matt
Hopefully these vegan options will become cheaper, as they become more popular and production ramps up.
1
@Matt
As I have stated in numerous other replies...it's NOT about the cost of these meat analogs, nor of plant based milks. It's the very highly subsidized 'real' milk & meat in the US where we pay somewhere between 1/3 to 1/3 the cost of ANY other C'try! Of interest this is also true for gasoline so that our car manufactures can build bigger gas guzzlers while ewe ought to be downsizing cars & electrifying them!
2
Has anyone put their "plant-based" fantasies aside long enough to read the ingredients on these fake meats? They are pure junk. Agricultural waste and by-products, sold at an astronomic markup. Even if you buy into the anti-meat mythology, this doesn't come close to passing the "whole foods" criterion.
"Eat less meat" is a lie that's been repeated enough that it has become popularly and uncritically accepted, much like the idea that Eric Clapton is a great guitarist. Even if you buy this myth, however, these false meats have little to recommend them from a nutrition standpoint. Add a bun and fries, and you're eating pure garbage, regardless of its pedigree.
If choosing an Impossible Burger instead of a meat burger assuages your plant-based angst and makes you feel a bit better, fine. Just don't delude yourself into thinking you're doing anything "better" for yourself or the environment.
6
Excuse me...can you really listen to "Crossroads"on Cream's Wheels of Fire LP and not think that Eric Clapton is a great guitarist? His solos on that track have never been equalled.
5
@NDeez Reducing veganism to plant-based angst is a strange choice if you're hoping to convince yourself that you should feel nothing when you consider the issue (I won't even call it a problem, for your sake) of violence inflicted on animals. Meanwhile, I'm curious if you have any science to back up that big claim of yours that meat burgers have the same--if not less--environmental impact as plant-based burgers?
6
I don't eat them, but would like you to provide some facts showing they aren't better for the environment. Having seen the stockyards down around Bakersfield, I doubt you can. And certainly better for ending the suffering of those poor animals.
7
The new formula Beyonds are great! Buy the bulk package, add bread crumbs (hold moisture), herbs and spices and a little ketchup. Fry/grill 'em up = Yummy!
Yo, Beyond - please figure out a way to remove some of the sodium.
Yo, beef eaters - learn a bit about the damage that cattle cause to environment and to the future world of your beloved progeny. Study up on the horrors of our industrialized meat-food industry. Yuck!
Yo, peeps who make stuff up about Beyond Burgers being "frankenfood" read their ingredients - Beyonds are all real foodstuff. Then learn about all the chemicals and hormones that are in your grocery store burgers - Yikes!
If you still feel that you must eat Tortured, Slaughtered Animal Food, at least switch to pond-raised fish, poultry, or even pork. Anything is better than beef!
13
Yo, @Miss Anne Thrope. I largely agree with you!
And your comment is one of the few that isn't simply inane or idiotic!
2
I'm intrigued.
3
I wish the author had used a more specific set of descriptors than "medium rare," i.e., internal temperature, coloration internally & externally, and/or whether the product has similar yieldingness/springiness as does meat when one uses one's finger to test doneness along the lines of the thumb test. As the article otherwise illustrates, it's not meat, and performs differently. "Medium rare" is a blood/muscle temperature indicator, so it's not super-apt.
I have the Impossible Burger at Burger King twice. It's pretty amazing to think that it has no meat in it. I'm not too crazy abou tthe sodium content, though. And I don't actually eat at Burger King, so it was just an interesting experiment.
Call me when In-N-Out Burger starts making them. :-)
6
I love Kenji's writing. It is so clear and concise it makes it easy for a reader to take his advice. Hopefully, the NYT will have him write more articles, helping their readers make decisions with clear data-driven information on products and cooking techniques.
5
This whole fake meat thing has me scratching my head. I am an omnivore, but I love so many delicious vegetarian meals. And shouldn’t actual vegetarians be repulsed by meat? If “meat is murder” then why would you want to role-play the part of a murderer?
2
I've been a vegetarian for over 30 years and don't eat them for the reasons you name, among others. They taste too much like meat and repulse me. They aren't aimed at vegetarians, they're designed for people who want to skip meat sometimes. Fine with me, better for the planet, better for the animals.
9
@Jim Plenty of people actually exercise their will to deny something that brings them pleasure because the cost is simply too great. I'm scratching my head as to why that's so hard to understand, and why there's so much energy exerted to fight movements for compassion and peace. Or perhaps I shouldn't be, since one look at the news feed should be enough to make clear that humans are not all we're cracked up to think that we are.
5
It's the beginning of the end of atrocities against the innocent defenseless.
8
I pan fried Beyond burgers in my kitchen, the same way I prepared ground beef.
The after stink from these "burgers" made me sick. The smell permeated the house and my brain. Never again.
"How to Cook With Plant-Based Meats"
Easy.
Step 1) Throw out the fake meat.
Step 2) Go get some real beef hamburger. With loads of delicious beef fat.
Step 3) Proceed as normal. Enjoy a real burger.
You're welcome.
3
How exactly can 'meat' be plant-based?
As a vegan whose diet is primarily raw, I do not understand why anyone who does not eat meat wants anything that resembles it, whether in flavor, texture or appearance. Why is something that "behave[s] just like beef — with meaty flavor, juiciness and bloody red color" something to brag about? That is the LAST thing I want.
Moreover, spending years and millions of dollars to create vegan meat substitutes is a HUGE waste of time, money, and energy that undermines the point of a vegan diet: compassion, morality, and health.
If you want meat, eat meat. If you don't want meat, eat real food, not some laboratory invention.
51
@Christopher Ross Because you're not the target market. These products are aimed at getting meat eaters to lower their beef intake, even if it's a small amount. It will have a big improvement for the environment.
40
@Laura agreed, I reduced my meat intake for a variety of reasons but still crave the texture and flavor, and the current meat substitutes hit that for me. I am aware its not healthy food, but neither is normal hamburger
25
@Christopher Ross Bravo! All these plant-based meat eaters are obviously meat-starved, but can't, or god forbid, don't want to admit it. Maybe they just need good vegetarian cuisine. You might want to publish a food book - not a cookbook because you don't cook - on how to prepare raw food.
2
I'm all for a plant-based diet, and I don't see anything intrinsically wrong with a plant-based meat-alternative.
But why does it require so much plastic packaging?
7
It doesn’t. Most long time Veg’s aren’t interested in this.
My wife and I have been vegetarians since before we met in 1981, the idea I want to taste a product that mimics meat is completely foreign. I can easily say getting a fast food version is foreign as well — we never eat at fast food restaurants—eating is about health. Natural unprocessed food grown without chemicals takes you back to before cancer and obesity.
1
Why do we need plant based meats. What is wrong with plants as food which has served humanity for thousand of years. If you want meat, eat meat. If you don’t want meat, eat plants and learn how to prepare real food. Plant based meats have added artificial ingredients to make them more like meat than plants. There are no health based data to suggest that this artificial meat is healthy.
@Wallace Berman Sometimes people are fine with being less healthy -- whether on occasion or often.
1
no one is suggesting it’s healthy. it’s simply an avenue to get meat eaters to consume less meat products. nothing to overthink here.
4
This is great information. I've been subbing minced mushrooms in my mapo tofu and dan dan noodles and have not been satisfied with either.
6
I don't think it's important to mimic meat but to create wonderfully tasting, obviously plant based alternatives.
3
I like the idea of eating less meat. It's healthier. But I'm not sure about these engineered food products. Remember margarine? Beans are good. High in protein, cheap, and are normal.
12
Fascinating and informative but personally I would rather enjoy a big garden salad and skip all of these veggie-meats. Covering these patties with strong flavors (as the article suggests to do over and over again) just means the other flavors are the actual good part of the burger. Reminds me of tofu, which can be great but most often tofu is a more a texture than a flavor.
2
In the minority apparently. I buy the beyond burgers in a supermarket cook the patties in a pan like I would a burger in whatever oil is available at the moment and eat it in 5 minutes along with some brown or wild rice with butter. They’re delicious, taste like beef to a degree but they have their own flavor and I like it as it is. I’ve also ground them up like ground beef for tacos, slightly concerned about what o might be doing to the concoction of ingredients but it seemed fine.
I also eat some other brand meatballs from same Acme that I believe are soy based. They’re heavier on spice, but taste good on whole wheat pasta.
I’m clearly not a foodie - food is something I require and dread preparing - look forward to more plant based meat alternatives to throw into the menu.
7
Processed meat is bad for your health. I don't see how ultra-processed fake meat is any better. I'll stick to lean meat and eggs, in moderation.
7
@Nick It does have a lot of chemical ingredients in it.
I've been using Pure Farmland Italian vegan meat with great success. As the article mentions, it works well in dishes that are fully flavored. Pasta bakes, tacos, hash, sloppy joes and as a pizza topping. Really pleased with the results.
8
Why, in this age of accessible local farm-raised meat and veg, and exposure to great vegetarian dishes from around the globe, would you choose to eat mass-produced protein?
6
Because not everyone eats meat, and it is fast, easy, and delicious to cook up a Beyond Beef burger.
Also, the "ultra-processed" label is applied unfairly to these products. You could say that modern cheese is "ultra-processed" too.
People who don't have the luxury of time to go to farmers' markets for your "accessible local" foods are grateful to have a tasty protein source.
Why does everyone seem to care so much about what OTHER people eat?
11
@Jessica Van Nuys Because some people have made a conscious choice not to kill another living being for their food. Local farms or not, if you choose to eat meat, that animal will suffer.
8
@Sage Nice try. If you eat plants, many animals were killed for your food.
I had a terrible experience this weekend with a Beyond Shepherd's pie. The meat looked delicious in the gravy, but cooked up a little rubbery. The next day, it didn't re-heat well.
I'll try again.
More articles with specifics on browning, breaking up, saucing, reheating, even preferred utensils--all would be helpful.
6
I tried Beyond Burger and it tasted wonderful as I took care to not overcook it as it's - vegetables! But I didn't like all the oil in it (like hamburger which I stopped eating due to intestinal rebellion) so, next time I will drain, drain, drain and cook on a skillet with grooves.
3
@Nancy, if you're not opposed to eating egg whites, I suggest you look for the Morningstar Grillers. They are soy burgers that have been out for a long time, and taste like a less greasy version of the beyond meat/impossible burgers.
@Captain Vegetable thanks for tip. I've made a note on that. I'm also trying some Aldi brand too. I might try to make my own sometime too. Lots of recipes out there.
You ever notice that no one is taking ribeye and trying to make it taste like tofu?
There's an evolutionary reason: We, of all the animals, developed our large brains by eating cooked meat. It allowed us to have a small gut and shift the energy upwards.
Fake "meat" (it ISN'T meat) is as junk food as you can get. Look at the list of ingredients! Any oil used is that toxic, high in linoleic acid, industrial seed oils.
I'm 73, been 90% carnivore for a few months and just got my annual labs back. No more diabetes, low trigs and LDL, off the charts high HDL. Calculated cardio risk factors plummeted, and they weren't bad before.
Evolutionary hint: Eat like our ancestors did.
One person eating a cow a year....there's that much food in one.....is far more sustainable than flying in your fruit from Chile, or the water thirsty precious almonds. In fact, ruminants are actually carbon sequestering, as White Oak Farms in Georgia proves. The double checked analysis included the energy used to process the meats and run the whole operaton! And ruminants can live and grow where there isn't enough rain for crops, or land too hilly for cultivation.
Support sustainable agriculture. Eat a grass fed cow. Or, lamb and goats.
7
@Jus' Me, NYT: Hilarious! In what other ways are you mimicking the lives of our long-ago ancestors? Are you tracking game? Are you forgoing all medical care? And why are you assuming that I eat almonds or fly in fruit from Chile? Why are you assuming that we can provide for 7.8 billion people sustainably by serving them grass-fed cows? Why are you assuming that it is a decent and just thing to treat cows as we do, grass-fed or not?
9
@Jus' Me, NYT Thank you. Processed food is awful for our health. The answer is not to replace processed food with even more processed food.
Also, I am sick of "coward" vegans/vegetarians. You want to be vegan/veg? Awesome, good for you. So, go eat some vegetables then. Don't switch to a diet of processed concoctions meant to mimic things (like vegan eggs, vegan butter, etc.) then brag to me about the health benefits. You're basically on the Hot Pockets diet...which is to say, you're eating awful.
1
Eat like our ancestors? You mean vegetables and fruits? Our teeth are a clear hint to what our ancestors ate.
6
The biggest problem with the American diet is the total lack of Whole Grains. When we wake up to this fact we will not only be healthier but perhaps thinner.
6
Why would a non fast food restaurant use pre-fabbed meat substitutes? Aren't you a chef? Can't you just make your own veggie burger? It'd probably be better than the brand name stuff found in grocery stores.
2
@TK let me guess, you read like the first couple of sentences of the article then posted this comment. He talks a lot about why they didn't just 'make your own veggie burger'. He also notes that hes more food scientist than chef.
1
There is no such thing as a "plant based meat". If there is not animal flash involved it is a meat substitute.
6
All the attention being paid to these pretend-meat products seems silly to me. There are three reasons to adopt a more plant based diet: sustainability, a moral aversion to killing animals, and health. Whilst the Impossible Burger and the like tick the first two boxes they fail on the third. These engineered foodstuffs are more or less just as bad for you as a real hamburger in terms of sodium and saturated fat. And in the end, they're not really a convincing substitute.
Personally, I really like the old fashioned veggie burgers: the kind made with oats and black beans etc.... and despite being an enthusiastic meat-eater, I tend to order them in restaurants rather than hamburgers. I've tried the Impossible Burger both at home and out, and it's.... fine. Not something I would order or buy again.
I think people need to be educated in how to eat a more plant based diet, not fooled into it with these ersatz "meats".
10
I have only tried once. I used Beyond Meat crumbles in chili, cooked exactly as prescribed. They were very tough and everyone, who didn’t know I was using them, complained about it.
@Richard - The Beyond crumbles are bad, as is their chicken. Their new burgers and bulk-packaged "meat" is great, however, so just slap it in the pan, season it and chop it up as it cooks. Try it, you'll like 'em.
1
If it is so great, why lie to the public by calling it meat?
5
@Allen: Simple shorthand! It tells you the things for which you might use it. (Also, why are there nutmeats? Why do we "get to the meat of the issue?" etc.)
4
@Allen you already know the answer to that right?
obviously, for context on how the product is to be consumed. why refer to oat/almond/soy milk as “milk”? why use the term vegan “mayonnaise” to refer to a product traditionally loaded with eggs? it’s a reference point...
3
It’s quite awkward (aka stupid) to use the expression “Plant-Based Meats”. Otherwise, have fun eating that stuff. I prefer plant-based plants.
7
As a non-believer in "vegetarian or vegan meat", I looked at the menus on the web site of Mr. J. Kenji López-Alt's restaurant Wursthall. To me, the selection of dishes looked both eclectic and eccentric. Vegetarian dishes are marked *, vegan **. A question came to my mind, from the tradition of Judaic kasher cuisine, where preparation of kasher and non-kasher foods shoul;d not be done in the same space: should not the vegetarian and vegan dishes be prepared in physical isolation from the omnivorous?
All in all, my greatest respect goes to the piscatorial vegetarians, dietary descendants of the medieval Manicheans and Cathars.
1
We offer both vegan and vegetarian dishes, a wide assortment of them. We aso use different sets of utensils and a different section of the griddle for our vegan offerings to avoid cross-contamination.
5
It may be my semantic chauvinism, but there is actually no such thing as a "plant-based meat." I'm not passing any judgements on flavor, and please feel to refer to it as "plant-based meat substitutes" or something similar. I'll read your article will enjoying my filet minion.
4
@MZ What about walnut meat? Or any other nut meat? Maybe the term isn't common now, but when I was a child, it was commonly used. Or, to go in another direction for other objections: coconut milk, peanut butter, almond butter. Language changes and evolves. Not just now, but always.
18
So, spice and sauce it to the hilt to mask what has questionable flavor without all those ‘additives’? All to preserve the illusion that you’re eating a burger? Nuts. :-)
5
@JJC well I agree it does get silly but I guess it's also a way to help people make the transition if they were raised on meat.
2
@JJC Most animal meat served is also slathered in spices (plants) and sauces and must be cooked, masking the horrid smell and taste of raw flesh. All to preserve the illusion that you're NOT eating another animals dead body.
4
Agree, and said with all respect for the beautiful belief in caring for the planet in all its manifestations. It just struck me in the moment. Kinda reminded me of the French penchant for sauces—exquisite when done well, and otherwise approaches with great caution.
Live well and Love ALL...
2
Many of these comments have a similar thread. It seems that accepting others have an opinion different from ones own is difficult. And annoying enough to write about it. Is this behaviour a symptom of our times, or a contributing cause? Live and let live as long as no one is harmed.
23
@Traisea many of these comments also show the short attention span most people have. I suspect many commenters didn't actually read the firist third of the article, let alone the whole thing.
5
They’re not meats.
1
The absolute best cooking method for plant based burgers is incineration at temps over 1000 C. Then go find something... anything real.. even real vegetables. And for Pete’s sake, none of that Impossible schtuff!! Leave that Franken Food for the scientists that cook it up in a lab.
3
How can you make egg free mayonnaise? What chemical binds the oil in place of the egg yolk? Yuck and yuck.
2
@KCG A lot of recipes use the liquid from a can of chickpeas to emulsify the mayo. Nothing scary.
I don’t know about the commercially available stuff. Please keep in mind that commercial mayo in general uses more than just egg to emulsify.
7
Plant-based "meat?" THere is NO SUCH THING. Plants are plants and meat is meat. If I want MEAT, I'm eating MEAT. Couldn't care less what vegemetarians and vugans think. I eat (and do) whatever I want.
3
@Tele-Cat
keep on jammin ' dude
1
You kind of defeated your own pro-vegan 'meat' (I just stick to your term here) - it tastes good when spiced into oblivion or mixed in with other foodstuffs that actually have some taste. I tried these things and if you do a burger with lots of sauce and cheese and onions - IOW where you wouldn't taste the meat anyway - they work OKish. Try to eat one of these things on its own. Yikes. And have a look at the list of ingredients. Not sure I want to put that stuff into my body.
2
A lone shout-out to cow-based meat.
Mmmmmmmm. Cheeseburger. It used to say "Mooooo!"
I will never understand why some people insist on eating fake meat.
A bit of self-education about the long-term side-effects of vegetarian/vegan diets wouldn't hurt either. Hint: not pretty and not good. At all.
Question: are there any meat-based fake vegetables? I'd sign up for those in a second.
3
@Bob The Builder: Long-term side effects of vegetarian diets? Is there something terrible happening to the millions of people in India who follow such diets all their lives? Is it just an illusion that I am in perfect health after 20 years as a vegetarian followed by 20 years as a vegan? It's no sin to lack expertise on a topic, but it surely is preferable to do some simple internet searches before sharing one's lack of knowledge.
10
Yes! See also: the China study.
1
Thank you to J. Kenji López-Alt and his hard-working staff for this well-researched piece.
24
Anyone who cooks and serves food for a profession should be ashamed to offer pre-packaged, highly processed frankenfoods like these. Either offer a house-made veggie burger or skip it.
6
call me when there's a salt-free option
2
This report is on point to my exact experince!
My attempt to pan fry 2 plain impossible burgers and then smoother in normal burger toppings was an impossibly inedible experience. I bought the nicest fresh rolls, sliced onions, delicious tomatoes, which saved my meal when i threw 1.5 burgers in the garbage and ate an some old school vegan burgers!
I want to try to foreman grill them but i wont give em another chance unless they are free... this report hit it on the head. Meatballs smothered in sauce or robust flavors work great with cheaper preexisting fake meat... so im starting to wonder about a viable niche for the new fake meat...?
@Mark P
Mark, my attempts with grilling Beyond burgers were great successes. We formed the patties ourselves and found the uncooked texture and appearance somewhat off-putting. They were so sticky it was difficult to transfer them to the grill. But the burgers grilled beautifully! And they tasted even better!!!
And now my editorial point: this thread is attracting a lot of crazy purists -- both vegetarians and carnivores -- that I find disconcerting. I eat old-fashioned veggie burgers and occasionally succumb to the allure of 3/4lb beef burgers, despite their environmental impact. But I believe there's a place for the Beyond/Impossible products, and we'll keep trying and enjoying them. I'm no chef, but I'm a foodie and decent cook, and I've found these products easy to work with.
4
"plant based" meat is more accurately described as:
Processed Material which the manufacturer is marketing as consumable "plant based meat".
So, for those of us who do not eat processed food, all these highly touted and aggressively marketed processed products are ..... inedible.
Nobody knows what is in these "plant based meats" except the food processing manufacturers.
Count me out. "plant based" is just a marketing term to move people in the direction of thinking the marketed, processed food is "healthy".
But, with no information or studies on health outcomes, and, little information on what is processed into the "plant based meat" those who consume it are just lab rats for the corporation selling it.
Remember "healthy margarine alternative to butter" laced with trans fat??
I do.
7
I am grateful to know that non-vegans are eating these faux vegan meats because I feel strongly that no animals should be killed for food. I'm a vegan who has not ever liked the taste or texture of meat, so it has long perplexed me why companies insist on making vegan meat. Now I have a very strong "why" and will support this effort—because this means that perhaps someday my dream of a worldwide society that does not eat animals really will be a reality.
11
@CJ Um...then what are we going to do with all the animals? Even if we stopped raising them for food, well, they are already here. Or are we supposed to just eat the ones we have already and then let them all go extinct? Or roam around freely? Cuz I'm pretty sure God made animals for people to eat.
@Nadia No, people domesticated these animals for people to eat.
"for the sake of convenience, I’ll refer to as vegan meat’
For the sake of accuracy, I’ll refer it as ersatz meat.
5
@just a thought accuracy =/= pedantry
2
@WWD
In your own conceit, but not in any dictionary.
There's no such thing as plant based meat. It's like water based fire. C'mon.
4
I'm not interested in non-"meat". I've haven't eaten beef or pork in 45 years and have no craving for that taste or texture. I tried one of these "burgers" once and found it kind of disgusting.
15
@dant good for you. this article wasn't for you. it was written for those interested in these new plant-based fake meat products.
11
this is less about getting vegetarians and vegans to eat a product similar to meat and more about getting meat eaters to consume less meat.
8
@dant
Same story. I tried the fake burger once. It was an interesting experience. I hadn't had a beef hamburger since childhood. I have no desire to eat a realistic fake burger ever again.
1
Once again, I encounter a J. Kenji López-Alt piece and come away not only with greater cooking and recipe knowledge. but the science and the "why" behind methods as well.
25
I used to eat soy-based burgers over a decade ago before so-called "plant-based" burgers became such a fad. They weren't bad, but now since they have been trivialized by liberal mainstream media hype, I will not eat one again. I do not follow fads; I do not want to become just another face in the crowd. To paraphrase HDT (that's Henry David Thoreau to all you highly educated out there), I march to the beat of my own drummer. Thank you.
Most of those old frozen soy burgers are twice as good for half the price of this hipster version...
1
@Mark P,
Yeah, the hipsters have ruined a lot of things.
2
@Southern Boy - A truly independent person will do what they want, even if it happens to be a fad. Not because it’s a fad, but in spite of it.
11
I've tried Impossible and Beyond burgers. I much prefer garden burgers that are made of mushrooms, chickpeas, peppers, grains, and other veggies. No one will mistake them for meat, but they're really good, nonetheless.
These faux beef burgers remind me of the horrid burgers they used to serve in my public school. They were meat-based, but had a lot of soy filler. They have a weird texture and smelled vaguely like cat food.
10
What is interesting about this trend is that some people are getting fatter. For example a guy told me after watching a Netflix documentary about the meat and milk industry, decided for the entire plant based meat substitutes. I haven’t seen this man for a while, although after a year of not consuming meats, milk, and eggs he asseverates he is healthy as ever, although he seems heavier than before. Just this week seen the guy, and he appears fighting a cold. I have seen this obsession in many people, they claim to be much healthier, although the reality appears to contradict their claims. I wonder if someone eventually will produce a study about this trend of meat “replacements” and its effects on the health of the followers?
6
Before I made my first BM burgers, my friend warned me that overcooking it made a huge difference - killed it. Follow the instructions and don't overcook it he said. I seared it hot like a burger on a cast iron - just 4 minutes per side as per the instructions. Looked great but the texture came out somewhere between a dried falafel and ground roast beef. Tasted... Unsettling. If I ever try it again I'll try the ground meat style, cook it a little under, and not too hot, but with plenty of hot sauce.
2
Love my plant based burgers. With caramelized onions, tomato, vegan mayo, worcestershire sauce, and shredded carrot. Will never go back to beef burger.
12
There is no such thing as plant based meat. There is vegetarian goo pretending to be meat. Not saying we shouldn't reduce meat consumption but let's not kid ourselves.
My wife and I have cut back on red meat significantly but when we do indulge in a "red meat" meal it's not going to be made with Soylent Green.
8
@JCallahan
I'm convinced 'vegan' is the gateway to Soylent Green!
1
These "impostor" meats are so full of additives and chemicals (not to mention man made oils). Are they really that much better for us? If you want to rep the benefits of whole food plant based or vegan the healthiest route is all natural. Load up on veggies, fruits and most grains!
11
@Believer Olive oil, coconut oil?
2
@Am Brown No. Read the label. Canola oil, then coconut (good!), and also sunflower. Canola and sunflower are industrially processed unhealthy seed oils. High in linoleic fatty acid. No olive oil.
2
They are not "plant based meats". They are realistic meat substitutes made from plants.
5
The question is: at fast food outlets, White Castle et al, do they cook the veggie burgers on the same grill as the meat? The reason I ask is that Burger King just plops the Impossible burger on to the same apparatus as the beef whopper. Dealbreaker for vegetarians. We don’t eat second hand meat either.
7
Just look at the recipes. Again, all this ersatz food trying to be healthy but only mimics junk food. You want a cheeseburger? Eat one. You want to eat no meat? There are tons of meatless recipes. Whatever happened to the KISS principle? Instead, businesses are catering to the whims of one and all and making a buck, as usual.
2
Even better than the Impossible Burgers and the Beyond Beef are the various breaded soy-chicken nuggets. They are so delicious you can even eat them cold without any seasoning.
3
Love both Beyond and Impossible. I had a terrible bout of food poisoning several years ago after eating the most expensive waygu burger I’ve ever had (it was a someone’s dinner party; I would never have ordered it otherwise). Suffice it to say, I haven’t been able to eat beef ever since. On a whim, I tried an impossible burger at my work cafeteria a couple months ago. It was awesome! The sausages are excellent as well. I can’t wait for the chicken and pork versions. To all you “virtuous” eaters out there, good for you. Pat yourself on the back if you wish. But leave me and my new “burgers” alone!
18
The accompanying cheeseburger recipe calls for cooking to 120 to 135. But the Beyond Burger packaging explicitly says to cook to 165. Is it safe for consumption if cooked to the lower temperature?
2
I guess I don't understand why anyone who chooses not to eat meat would want to eat a non-meat product that tries to replicate the taste, texture and bloodiness of meat.
13
@Robin Many of us are going vegan for ethical reasons but still like the taste of meat. These days we don't have to live on brown rice and beans to go meat-free.
26
@Robin These products aren't really targeted at vegans/vegetarians. In fact, Beyond Meat held out until someone was willing to place its products in the (real) meat case next to the animal meats--where meat-eaters, not vegetarians, are shopping. There are both environmental and health reasons for choosing these substitutes. Whether or not you are OK with eating animals, few people disagree that we should reduce red-meat consumption for health reasons, and the world is running out of room for raising cows.
1
@Robin, because meat is a dead flesh of sentient beings who valued their lives as much as humans do. Why support industries that exploit animals when there are so many plant-based food choices?
3
Interesting article. I found some of the explanations quite useful (such as the behavior of the fats), also some of the seasoning suggestions. LopezAlt's experience with sales matches mine. I work in catering, and when we put out options such as 'Impossible Beef' Tacos or 'Impossible Beef' Meat Sauce with Whole Wheat Penne, people gobble it up. Interestingly, after we started using those products there was more interest in the standard vegan entrées we served as well, so perhaps it is a gateway item....
9
I'm sorry. By definition, meat is animal-based, not plant-based.
What is the point of going vegetarian or vegan and then looking for something that tastes and looks like meat? It is a contradiction in terms.
8
@ncm - what is the point? Well, the meat industry is bad for the environment and cruel to animals, but meat is also delicious and is a principal ingredient in a lot of cuisine.
Now what is the point of arguing over semantics? It's as tedious as those who object to plant-based milks being called milk or plant-based cheese being called cheese. Who cares?
34
@ncm
"By definition, meat is animal-based, not plant-based."
No, it's not (see nut meat, for example) and in any event, who cares?
And why is this a contradiction? Why does everyone say that? I'm a vegan because I don't want to cause animal suffering. Imitation meat doesn't cause animal suffering.
@Anthony Flack
Thank you - I don't understand why everyone feels the need to say the same, pointless, baseless things whenever plant-based food comes up.
I don’t care how you dress them up or shape them.
Beans are beans.
Vegetables are vegetables.
Textured soy protein is just plain processed.
Meat has a distinct bite, taste and texture.
Pretty pictures lie.
9
I'm all for plant-based recipes for the home cook, but could we please also have those recipes with no oil?
My problem is fat (oil, butter, lard, you name it). It's very hard to adapt mouth-watering sounding recipes while also abiding what Drs (think Ornish, McDougall, Esselstyn) advocate and give good reasons/studies showing that oil is detrimental to the lining of our arteries.
Vegan/Vegetarian/ Plant-Based, all great and tasty stuff ... no oil please!
3
@c Those men are idiots. And unhealthy. Oil is an essential part of our diet, at the least, carrying certain oil soluble vitamins.
Further, your belief is just flat out wrong. Fats are the best fuel for our bodies, and they contain none of the problems carbs do. What is detrimental to the linings of your arteries is PUFA's. Polyunsaturated fats. Look up "lipid peroxidation."
I'm 73, eat a 90% high fat carnivore diet. Just got my annual labs back. Low LDL and trigs, high HDL. Total cholesterol, 166. I'm healthier than probably 90% of Americans.
Including you, I would wager.
Thank you, thank you and thank you! I have forwarded this to my family. Cooking insight hugely helpful.
You nailed it with the spices!
3
ok. plant-based proteins....NOT meats.
4
Try doing vegan burgers with a low/med flame, 6 min per side. They should not stick at all; if you see that, turn down the flame. Less is more.
2
Plant based meat = cow or buffalo. They eat grass, and it turns into meat. Amazing.
7
This is a fantastic article. Between this piece, his Thanksgiving contributions, and other articles, I'm finding J. Kenji López-Alt to be the best food writer (not critic, that's Pete Wells) the Times has had since Mark Bittman. I love Impossible and Beyond Meats, but have had challenges cooking with them. Thanks for all the wisdom imparted here. I need to head down the Peninsula to Wursthall.
16
Do not eat anything that is designed and manufactured by human being with nutrition degree. Why does that need to be said?
4
@wlieu
Tell that to the millions of Twinkies and doritoes and snackwell cookies and all the other processed food out there.
This food stops animal suffering and helps the environment.
@GS
Eat. real. vegetable.
Making food-like product, even out of vegetable, uses more resources than...not.
But ... little help in making these patties taste good would have been welcome. I've had very good non-meat burgers at restaurants and tasted pretty foul ones at home. The difference wasn't the toppings. A novice cook or even novice diner knows that. As a big reveal, this falls way short.
1
Imitation bleeding burgers are a meant to appeal to meat eaters to ease them into "non meatdom". This is not bad if it lowers meat consumption and in turn saves animals from a bad life and also helps the environment.
I have not eaten meat for 50 years. Meat has no appeal to me what so ever. I am nutritionally sound and enjoy a vast array of foods.
On another note--why so much cheese in these recipes? As noted in a recent NYT article, dairy is not recommend for this past 2 years of age.
3
Good advice. But I avoid "modern meat alternatives" because I want to avoid the texture and flavor of certain meats. I don't like cow patties. I don't like stake. There are better things out there without going to Impossible Burger.
What I really like is a dish where I never ask myself "Where's the beef?" I don't care because I don't even notice.
3
The secret to a fantastic vegan burger is to cook it on a griddle next to beef burgers. Nobody said life was fair.
5
I don’t eat meat and don’t want to eat anything that pretends to taste like it. I love the field burger occasionally because it is barley based and tasty. As my children say: don’t yuck on my yum. My grandma would say, “each to their own...”
3
Many people (my family included) have become plant-based eaters for their health. Unfortunately, the Beyond and Impossible products are even *less* healthy than just eating a hamburger. Higher sodium and higher saturated fat. So I think the author has wildly missed the point of why many, many people are vegan, or are avoiding foods like red meat and dairy.
I was hoping to see some ideas for an actual healthy and vegan sandwich option, and I didn't.
9
@Amelia Don’t look to the NYT for any good vegan recipes. I’ve given up thinking they will ever have any. However, go to any hundreds of vegan recipe blogs out there and you’ll find countless recipes for delicious veggie burgers (made with things like sweet potato, mushrooms, beets, black beans, millet, etc.) I make them all the time and they are fantastic. Just google it. As for Beyond Meat burgers, yuck. They taste good but I feel sick afterwards because of all the oil. (Although not as sick as if I’d eaten a real meat burger which I haven’t done in 25 years.) Vegan is the way to go for everyone’s health and the health of the planet. All the science is there to prove it.
6
Thanks for the wonderful article and recipes. I’m working on adding more plant based foods to my diet and, like the author, I experiment quite a bit to improve flavor and textures. A little MSG and porcini mushrooms definitely add depth to many of the meat-like foods from the grocery store. Looking forward to more articles like this.
5
Thank you for a useful and important article. I’m a vegetarian but loved meat and I’m happy to have a tasty substitute. But the real value is in convincing meat lovers to eat these products. That is what will save the animals and the planet. I cook for a carnivore husband, and if I can sneak in some Impossible meatballs, all the better!
6
Thank you for the review. However, it all sounds like too much trouble. I'll stick with Boca Burgers sauted in butter or olive oil or just eat veggies, pasta and occasional real meat.
4
Every Friday for lunch I have Trader Joe's Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burgers. They are so tasty and reasonably priced. I put them on a corn tortilla with vegenaise , lettuce and tomato.
8
@James
I find the TJs Quinoa Cowboys much better than Beyond burgers. I top with grilled onions and guacamole.
3
An excellent article on the specifics of cooking with plant-based meat alternatives and have found myself that combining with other ingredients as the best approach for their use.
As a Vegan/Vegitarian - am flexible, I find these products to be an excellent path towards a reduction of meat by those who fear a vegitarian, or vegan diet, no wonder why the word vegan has been supplanted in marketing to read as plant-based.
I get those who have no desire for the taste and texture of the Impossible burger, or Beyond Meat but get over it for the rest of society! For those who want to be healthier but don't want to give up the craving they have for meat it is a game changer. It is a gateway to help reduce our carbon footprint and for those who ethically find eating meat abhorrent.
Plant-based foods are typically higher in sodium and more processed however, one need simple be smart about the portion and frequency.
Regardless of one's personal preference, people should be more accomodating of others and let them find their own path to a healthier and more sustainable diet.
6
Probably best not to try a plant-based diet conversion based on what are essentially "vegan fast foods". The meat substitutes are interesting in sauces and chili, but you will NEVER get a proper burger analog, nor anything other than a fair approximation of a "real" meat dish. Vegan and vegetarian cooking has a different flavor pallet and different spice profile than meat based cooking. Vegan cooking requires some practice and varied dining experience before you get to a point where it is enjoyable or even something that one can sustain. After four years of primarily vegan home cooking and learning the recipes for basic vegan sauces and work-arounds, I can testify that vegan cuisine will never taste like savory meat dishes. But that is not the point. The point is to reduce wear and tear on ecosystems and improve personal health profiles. Keep at it and ignore the mass marketed highly processed foods, whether vegan or carnivore.
2
@roboturkey I'm vegan, I cook a lot of whole foods-based vegan meals, some simple and some complex. My sister is vegan and a superb cook who makes her own bread and vegan cheese, and grows most of the food she eats. And we both love Beyond Burgers and other veggie burgers.
I also tried a fair number of faux this and that when I switched to a vegan diet. It made the transition easier.
Your experience is yours and mine is mine. Why try to convince people that your way is the only way?
25
Shout out for the wonderful Field Roast products. Their Italian & Apple-Sage sausages are dense, delicious grain-based miracles. Their dense loaves make dinner (and sandwiches) so easy.
22
@Parker Absolutely! I make a traditional red spaghetti sauce with their Italian "sausages" that my friends love. Many of them don't realize that my sauce is vegetarian!
7
Very simply, it is not food.
So much effort to eat a non food, engineered to taste like burnt animal flesh (also not food).
Why bother - just eat the plants in original form.
15
@ScottB - it is food, and meat also is food. But you can go chew on a raw potato if it pleases you.
4
@ScottB : I grew up with a dad who was a vegan.
The mystery to me was that he hated vegetables, so he ate all these fake foods -- fake bologna, fake cheese, fake ice cream, etc.
I ate meat but I also ate lots of vegetables -- because I like vegetables. Vegetables are what they are, and most are delicious and worth eating AS THEMSELVES -- they do not require disguising as meat or anything else.
Why do most vegans hate vegetables?
1
Well! I'm purer than you, because I don't want it to look like or taste like meat so There! Geez, gimme a break, y'all. We are working toward a place where much less animal protein is used, much less animal residue leaks into our ecosystem. Must EVERYONE prove just how perfect and how cool they personally are?
69
The main problem I encountered with Impossible was it stuck terribly to the pan. No amount of oil seemed to help. So, scraping them off left a layer of the "meat." Suggestions?
@Koho I think you got your pan too hot. A spray of olive oil helps on a non stick pan or seasoned iron skillet.
1
@Koho, Not to mention the product already has a lot of oil in it. I like a version made of smashed peas and potatoes, but can only tolerate the seasoning once in a while.
As an almost vegan for 20 plus years, I have no interest in eating plant based foods that "bleed" or remind me of animal flesh. I know there are many vegans with the same disposition.
15
@CA It appears that you have built better habits than most of us have. Having grown up eating meat (had I known then what I know now I wish I hadn't been raised to enjoy steak/burgers/chicken, but unfortunately I do) I appreciate these articles (as I'm sure other "meat" eaters do). Hopefully it gets us to a place where we don't have eat meat and can go to plant based diets. Every little step helps. If you have any other great recipes (tasty food), please send them along as the more variety and access we have, the better.
18
@Jordan H Meat is popular because dehydrated dead flesh, laden with fat, easier absorbs spices and flavorings. Additionally, it’s been scientifically proven that the combination of salt/fat/sugar (which is what almost all meats are and/or are seasoned with, is addicting, causing ones’ endorphins to fire away. Plants on the other hand, take much more creativity to cook/combine/season. And, typically, once dead flesh is out of ones’ diets, plants have much broader taste spectrums and are far more enjoyable to eat.
2
I'm almost 77 and grew up eating vegetarian meat substitutes. I really loved Vega-links, Worthington "steaks", and lots of other so called meat substitutes.
I still like the same foods from these companies today, but am really impressed with what these new forms of vegan food taste and feel like texturally. Now, as a vegan for almost thirty years, I don't eat or need any substitute sort of foods. But I am looking forward to trying some of these new products. My health is near perfect and my weight the same as when I was 17. I run as fast as ever, lift very heavy objects, and have never suffered from bad joints, bursitis, high blood pressure, or any of the other diseases caused by foods overly rich in protein.
My main reason for being vegan is that I just can't do anything to harm animals. And I am appalled by the damage done to our environment by animal food products. I only regret that I have four cats who I must feed meat. They are obligate carnivores with sharp claws, teeth, and very short digestive tracts. We are certainly not like them. We kill with technology.
Thanks for this article and many others on the subject of the ever declining non-vegan food industry.
119
@LisaLisa You're absolutely right. The only choice I have is to have my beloved cats euthanized. I tried vegan cat food, and they wouldn't eat it.
11
@john michel - thank you for your comments. I applaud your dedication AND love of animals including your cat.
As to your feeding four days being a lot of meat, oh please.
Keep being kind and compassionate. We need more of that.
3
@john michel
You are a fine healthy specimen.
Well played.
I wouldn’t worry about your cat food.
Humans are the problem.
4
"As a chef who strives to reduce my own meat intake and offer plant-based dishes to as wide an audience as possible, I think modern vegan meat is among the most important technological leaps I’ve seen in my career. And if sales figures are any indication, the incentive to produce ever-better versions shows no sign of flagging."
I say, great, especially if your tips increase consumption of plant-based. Good for the planet. But as a vegetarian for over 30 years, I gag when I try an Impossible or Beyond Beef product. I don't like or want faux meat. I like my vegetables to taste like vegetables. And not be highly-processed.
17
Thank you for the tips -- I don't eat meat and I have found these new products to be a way to enjoy old classics. I prefer Indian and Middle Eastern food, but sometimes a good old vegan meatball sub hits the spot.
13
My super easy eggplant veggie burger recipe:
Cut an eggplant into burger size slices.
Salt and fry in olive oil until crispy on the outside.
Melt plant-based cheese on top
Serve in a bun with ketchup and all the usual burger stuff.
No animals harmed
17
@Lucy Daniels : portobello mushrooms -- brushed with olive oil and seasoned to taste -- grilled on a BBQ or ban fried -- make a delicious sandwich.
It isn't trying to be a fake burger -- or meat -- it is ITSELF. Mushrooms are delicious as themselves.
So is eggplant.
The mystery to me is that vegans don't want to eat meat, yet then they try to make products that look and taste like FAKE meat.
Why don't vegans like vegetables?
@Lucy Daniels But it tastes like... eggplant!
1
Before Beyond and Impossible, I experimented with the antiquated Boca Burger (which I guess was not vegan).
Anyway, I had some success in pan-frying them in extra virgin olive oil that had some charred slices of garlic in it (the later seemed to add a grilled beef taste.)
The Italians throw olive oil on pizza and pasta as a richness condiment. And I hypothesize it could do something for plant-based burgers. It also keeps them from tasting dry.
In addition, I suggest serving them with the full panoply of lettuce and tomato, slice of onion, and some dill pickles. Then you have a salad on a bun.
7
I've made the switch and find it really enjoyable. About the only time I go back to real meat is while traveling. Besides the great taste and texture of the new alternatives, the cooking mess is so much easier to clean up. The improved digestive regularity is also a bonus.
I don't have a super-complex palate to please, so I find the sausage products pretty excellent, too.
If you're hard-core for your real meat, this stuff probably won't cut it for you. But, if meat is not the be-all of your diet, these new products are great.
18
I am glad you're happy.
I would rather eat something whose ingredients list says "pork, salt, spices" than something that has twenty-five ingredients, of which fifteen are mysterious.
1
There is no such thing as plant based meat. Just like there is no such thing as meat based broccoli. And read the Beyond Burger label. You really want to eat that?
17
@Erik
Actually, I believe that beef IS plant-based. As is lamb.
9
@Erik Yes, I have read the label. Which part do you think I should be concerned by? Please be specific, and when doing so, an understanding of the processes by which a cow metabolizes grass and/or corn would be useful, as well as the chemical changes fats and proteins undergo when heated.
13
@ Erik-
Have you ever read the ingredients in the food at McDonald’s? Have some of their world-famous French fries with their 19 different ingredients. All the other fast-food restaurants are no different. And now all the delicious chicken sandwich offerings at Popeyes, Wendy’s, KFC, etc., are making those tasty with the long-shunned MSG. And you’re still eating hormone-laced meat.
Enjoy.
3
It's odd to me how hostile some people are toward plant-based meats - almost as though they're afraid they'll be forced to eat them.
I don't eat beef or pork because I don't support factory farming on CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations), where they're fed garbage like unsold halloween candy. I don't like the fact that a single hamburger patty can have meat from as many as 100 different cows. I don't like the recalls, the food safety problems and the impact cattle have on the environment.
You do you. But if plant-based meat makes you angry, your beef really isn't about the beef.
313
@Randy Well Randy, a couple of points. It's not meat, its a veggie patty, just like soy milk isn't milk. And how the food industrial complex arrives at "meat" doesn't sound any more reassuring than how they arrive at "milk". It is a heavily processed product that may or may not contain things that you may not want in your body.
Your problem is that you live in the U.S. where anything goes. There is a reason that the beef and chicken from the U.S. is not allowed in many countries.
Just like stevia, a white powder heavily processed from a green leaf is billed as "natural", I prefer my meat to be meat, and my veggie patty to be called a veggie patty. If you can't market it for what it is, then is isn't.
14
@Randy , you’re right there—although I do think that the meaning of “meat” may not change for most of us in any case. But the hostility isn’t over that. Sometimes people have strong beliefs regarding food that make them feel that those who are not vegan or vegetarian need to be lectured or considered unenlightened. And people don’t like that, of course. So they get a knee-jerk dislike for the whole concept.
6
@Randy --- somewhat off-topic (and by "somewhat" I may mean "wildly"), but these sound a lot like the people who used to claim that legalizing gay marriage would "ruin it for the rest of us," or who seem to think that "Black Lives Matter" means white lives don't. If anything good is being said about fake meat, then it must mean something bad is being said about real meat.
I don't quite get the zero-sum mentality, but it's out there.
52
I'm vegan and rely on whole foods. Sometimes I will incorporate plant based " meats" into our meals. One does does need animal flesh to cook delicious meals. What is important to me is that an animal has not suffered and been slaughtered.
145
@Fredericka
You nailed that one! Turns out “one does need animal flesh to cook delicious meals!”
Thanks sister!
1
So... load a vegan product up with products containing large amounts of sodium, label it in Japanese, and claim success?
With all the emphasis on special diets: gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, keto... why is there no focus on or discussion about, interesting low sodium dishes, which are critical for large numbers of Americans. Why aren’t there sections on menus, in supermarkets, etc?
What will it take to make such a critical diet sexy?
5
Cook Beyond Burgers exactly as they tell you. Delicious!
14
We marinate slices of Tempeh in coconut aminos (which tastes similar to Tamari, but lower in sodium)...then pan fry with toasted sesame oil.
That’s are burger ‘patty’....topped with fresh mozzarella or goat cheese, slices of roasted red pepper, sautéed and seasoned red onion slices, crimini, shiitake, or portobello mushrooms...and fresh lettuce or spinach leaves.
Spread toasted focaccia with veganaise and pile up the burger ingredients. Rivals any ‘meat burger’...and without the heart disease. Delicious!
13
@Susanna
And don’t forget the baked olive oil-sweet potato wedges.
1
"How to Cook With Plant-Based Meats"
Would it be OK to not call things by what they aren't?
Because there is no such thing, and never will be such a thing, as a plant-based meat.
A plant-based meat substitute? Fine. A veggie burger? No problem.
But let's please not distort the language so much that it breaks.
13
@polymath
That's what's always bothered me about almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk: and these foods are now officially considered to be milk. Silly me, and I thought milk came from the mammary glands of mammals.
5
@Ellen
Language changes. Even good old Merriam-Webster understands. Their #2 definition of "milk" is: "a food product produced from seeds or fruit that resembles and is used similarly to cow's milk."
Now that wasn't so hard to swallow, was it?
57
yes, actually, it was.
though why coconut milk gets a pass I don't know.
2
I think that by eating one of those "things" you can swallow a quantity of chemicals, useless and probably harmful, many times greater than that found in a piece of meat of decent quality. I understand that the poor have no choice, but providing them with a product so similar to the food of science fiction films is not ethical, much better to provide them with an education aimed at creating a healthy and dietary monthly menu, given the horrendous threat of obesity from waste food.
3
You are mostly right about faux meats. But check out oat milk. Oat beverage, if you prefer. Many of them have two ingredients, oats and water.
3
@Raffaele - which "chemicals" are you concerned about specifically? E101? E300? E500? E941? E948?
1
As a vegetarian, I've tried the Beyond and Impossible products. The sausages are dry and tasteless. The burgers are okay. They can't be cooked too much or they dry out. The burgers are too close to real meat for me. I still prefer soy burgers for taste and price.
3
@Vinson beyond meat sausages in a vegan lasagne with lots of spicy peppers is amazing tho.!
6
I started by ordering an Impossible Burger in a regional casual dining restaurant. It was awful. Then I got an Impossible Whopper at BK. It was not much better. I swore off commercially cooked fake meat.
The next step was to bring some vegan meat home and cook it myself. I grabbed a 1 pound package of frozen Beyond Beef at Stop and Shop. They did not display the price. In the checkout line I found out it was well over 9 dollars. Against my better judgment I bought it rather than have them restock it. Ordinarily, my firm belief in value would have intervened and canceled the purchase.
After the package thawed in the fridge overnight, I opened it and was greeted by an intensely unpleasant processed, chemical smell. It was somewhat similar to commercial printer's ink. It smelled nothing like food.
I crumbled it in a skillet and browned it to include in a recipe. I had to keep the range hood cranking the whole time to exhaust the awful chemical smell coming from the stovetop.
When it was done, it didn't look, taste, or smell bad. But it was way too expensive and I didn't enjoy working with it. Plus, with the strong uncooked smell, I was very uncomfortable with it in general.
Unless something changes dramatically, I will absolutely avoid this stuff and stick with buying ground chicken and turkey and frozen veggie burgers from Morningstar and Trader Joe's.
5
For those of us in rural areas Impossible Burger is just that; impossible to get in our grocery stores. Even if Walmart or Safeway carry this product it is always sold out. I have a two hour round trip to get to a big box market so I will stick to my local small town store. The meat is local, inexpensive and high quality. The neighbors produce it.
3
@Llewis
Try Lightlife, Beyond Burger, or the Ralph's brand knockoffs. They are equally as tasty. I've tried them all.
2
@Llewis how can you call meat high quality when it's full of cholesterol which is the leading cause of blocked arteries and death in the USA?
2
@Llewis: I seriously doubt that. Slaughterhouses are regional and one pound of beef has many, many cow parts in it. You really wouldn’t want to know.
3
Don't fry them, bake them.
Frying creates a hard unpleasant shell on the outside of the burger and renders the inside into a mushy texture that made me swear off of them for a long time.
When I tried them again, instead of frying it in a pan, I put one in the oven on a cookie sheet, and baked it (at 350 for 16 mins). The outside didn't looked fully cooked but you have to remember that this is a vegetable patty and the red you are seeing is beet juice.
The result was juicy, and very burger like just as the manufacturer promised.
10
Better yet to grill them. Medium-to-high heat, about 30 seconds longer that what is called for- both the burgers and sausages. Yes, you do have to be careful in overcooking them, but they’re definitely better with a little char on them.
1
The only way I’ve used vegan meat product is as a substitute for meat in dumplings, and now I know the reason why it works. Because the dough prevents the fat from seeping out, I imagine that empanadas, tortellini, samosas, pierogis, momos, mandu... can be made successfully with vegan meat.
20
Pan fried in olive oil, buns toasted in broiler, thousand island, cheese, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, onion, and mustard.
Bonus: the patties don't shrink.
Surprised and pleased how delicious they all are.
John
17
Years ago when eating in NYC Chinatown I would have faux meat dishes.
They were terrible though if slathered in enough sauce and if I imagined I was unconscious, tolerable.
Why not just eat good veggies, grains, fruit, pasta, and for those like me that eat eggs and fish, those, too?
Why make believe that meat is necessary to eat if you really decide not to eat it?
20
@Simon Sez
No one who decides not to eat meat (i.e., a vegetarian or vegan) thinks that "meat is necessary." That is not why they eat vegan meats.
They eat them (for the most part occasionally, as a treat) because they can. Because they can have a product that is quite yummy, resembles what they may once have liked about meat, and has none of the downsides: no animal cruelty; no environmental degradation; and no adverse effect on health if eaten once in a while.
There you have it.
And for those who might complain about the concept of "vegan meat": meat is just solid food, as in "nut meat."
52
@Simon Sez It might be good to know that mock meat dishes have a very long history in Chinese cuisine. They weren't invented yesterday for our modern concerns; it was invented because of Buddhist monks.
2
I find the assumption that these products are better for the person and better for the planet, annoying. There is no science to back up either assertion. The burgers are highly processed food products. How much waste do they produce? What has been added to them to make them taste "real"? Are those additives good for us? Are waste products being put into the environment as these burgers are produced? So many questions!
And to be fair eating these are really virtue-signalling. I find it offensive that people are all like: I only eat plant-based products, and they basically are killing not cows but humans.
Farmers are experiencing high suicide rates because of "changes in demand" for meat and dairy products. It's the five-generation farmer who's destroyed by these food trends. The little farmer who cares for her or his animals, not the big farms. The big farms can survive these trendy things.
I for one do not mind eating real cheese and real beef. I prefer to support the small farmer who cares for his or her crops and animals. I prefer beef and real cheese as they are simple ingredient foods, and in a well-balanced diet, not only good tasting but good for you.
Hey purists: there's a lot to love about cheese and beef. Those cows that you are putting out of work? They're not going out to pasture. They're going to the slaughter house and the farmer is often killing himself. Google "suicide" and "Wisconsin farmer" and you will see plenty of article to back up this assertion.
15
@Alive and Well: Talk about “virtue-signaling”! So you’re saying I need to go back to eating meat after twenty years of happy, meat-free meals in order to prop up a way of life that wouldn’t exist without massive government subsidies and that thrives on the wholesale abuse of hapless factory-farmed animals. No thanks!
Just like the makers of buggy whips did over a hundred years ago, farmers need to find another way to exist without socialistic farm subsidies.
Grow veggies and I’ll happily eat them! And thanks for this great article. I love the vegan meats!
173
@Alive and Well the cattle industry, not the small farmer, is actually killing this planet. Cattle as a species, are destroying land, flora, fauna habitats, rainforests, and creating social conditions where environmental activists are being slaughtered. Not to mention the methane emitted from cows. The only sustainable solution for the planet is to let cattle die out.
35
@Alive and Well Regarding your concerns about mental health and farmers, I followed your suggestion and looked for some information about suicide rates among farmers. You are right, there is a tragically high rate of suicide in this population. But there is nothing to support your assertion that this problem is the result of a dropoff in the purchase of meat--unsurprisingly, the known causes of this issue are complex, long-term, and multilayered. Government policies like subsidies and tariffs, lack of a healthcare safety net, financial issues related to banking practices, and impacts on their livelihood from things out of their control (e.g., climate change) are among the problems researches have cited. Here is an interesting and moving discussion of the issue and there are many others: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/dec/06/why-are-americas-farmers-killing-themselves-in-record-numbers.
It's important to acknowledge the complexities of difficult issues like these and not make false and oversimplified connections or conclusions.
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This all seems so silly to me. I love vegetables of all kinds and load up my gigantic salad-meals with mounds of dark, mixed greens and another 8 or 9 veggies chopped and mixed in. I also make a wonderful stir-fry that also has an abundance of beautiful veggies, along with real meat that's been marinaded in my own special blend of liquids. However, I enjoy all of these wonderful creations just as they are naturally. If I want meat, I'll eat meat. If I want vegetables, I'll eat vegetables (and I usually mix them up together anyway). I prefer things with as little processing as possible, so these so-called "veggie-burgers" just don't work for me. I'll probably get around to trying them one day, but I'm certainly not rushing out to do so.
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@Independent Observer
True, but plant-based beef is great when I (omnivore) come from work and have to cook dinner for my vegetarian daughter and me.
11
@Dawn If you enjoy this particular processed meat-substitute, have at it. I just don't understand why more folks don't enjoy vegetables as they are naturally, since I think they taste so darned wonderful that way. That's simply a mystery to me. I don't understand eating vegetables masquerading as meat anymore than I'd understand meats masquerading as a vegetables. Does the latter make any sense to you? If not, what makes it any different?
2
@Independent Observer, there's excitement because meat's a major contributor to greenhouse gasses and is often produced in inhumane conditions. Plant-based meat is better for the environment and doesn't rely on animal exploitation. I say this as a meat eater.
37
I'll leave others to the endless debate on what's better for the environment. One thing is for certain - JKLA is an absolute treasure. So glad he's writing for the NYTimes. Thank you, chef!
29
I understand that many people do not eat animal products for a variety of reasons, but I do not understand why ANYONE would eat fake food. If you look at the ingredients of fake meat and cheese they are super, highly processed foods with dozens of ingredients.
"Producing the newer, plant-based burgers requires considerably less water and generates substantially less greenhouse gas emissions compared with traditional beef burgers. This is certainly an important consideration for the well-being of our planet, but they may not be the best option for the health of our bodies."
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/impossible-and-beyond-how-healthy-are-these-meatless-burgers-2019081517448
From Michael Pollan's Food Rules:
Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry.
Avoid food products that have more than 5 ingredients.
Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.
Avoid foods that are pretending to be something they are not.
21
@Bunny Because it is delicious.
3
@Bunny
Why do I only hear this argument as it relates to vegetarian/vegan food? Americans eat Twinkies and Doritoes and drink soda, and about a billion other highly processed foods that have zero benefit.
But it seems like people only complain about processed food that actually does a great deal of good.
1
Give me either an honest veggie burger!
There are restaurants that make their own veggie burgers and they can be as delicious and satisfying as beef. Maybe even better. Check out your local vegan restaurant, that’s where the real creativity is taking place in restaurants these days.
Or a true beef burger.
I’ve tried and retried the faux meat substitutes like impossible burger but they are neither a true veggie burger, nor meat. What they are is a Frankenburger. While the beef industry in general is no place that deserves any defense politically speaking, there are conscious producers of humanely raised, grass fed, organic beef that are doing it right and are worth supporting.
8
These meat substitutes may not be as unhealthy as beef, but health food they are not. Huge amount of salt, saturated fat from coconut oil, and a ton of ingredients.
Because they are manufactured, they’re great for the bottom line of the big food corporations, but I’m not sure they’re really a great alternative in the long run, or that they use fewer resources than the cattle industry.
10
@Scott Cole. Why always assume that everything a vegan eats is about health. Burgers, whether prepared with real meat or plant-based substitute are an indulgence. Both have a lot of salt and are high in fat, and it not for every day. Vegans need their indulgence as well, be it a super sweet cake, a vegan chocolate or, indeed, a fatty, salty burger.
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@Ed
Ground beef doesn't contain a lot of sodium: 50-60 mg. You'd get a lot more than that from the bun. Or the cheese. And it comes in varying fat contents as well. In my area 90% lean is readily available in most stores. Besides, when you cook it a lot of that fat comes out.
1
I would need to know what’s in these "meats," "cheese," or other food stuffs. A work friend used to bring a delicate bakery chocolate cake for birthday parties. Tasted great, but about a half hour after eating a piece of it my digestive system would start to have problems because of the tofu in it. I quickly learned to show up to wish her happy birthday, but to pass on the cake.
I would guess that tofu and other soy products would play a large part in the vegan products. I can’t eat mushrooms either, another logical meatless ingredient. Might as well stick with the usual food items.
Water, Textured Wheat Protein, Coconut Oil, Potato Protein, Natural Flavors, 2% or less of: Leghemoglobin (soy), Yeast Extract, Salt, Soy Protein Isolate, Konjac Gum, Xanthan Gum, Thiamin (Vitamin B1), Zinc, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12.
4
@Joan In California
Both Beyond Meat, and Impossible Foods, the two darlings of alt-meat, use about 20 different ingredients in their patties. They are highly processed Frankenfoods hatched in a lab, not carrots pulled out of the earth.
1
Interesting article. I have long prepared meat burgers and recently tried Beyond Burgers. My preference is to add as little seasoning to the base protein as possible to enjoy the taste of the cooked product. The bottom line is that meat burgers turn out just fine, Beyond Burgers are less than desirable for both taste and texture. To each, their own.
2
Reading the details about the fat melting out of "vegetable burgers", could I suggest adding vegetable suet. The problem is the same for making British puddings....that traditionally use lard. The melting temperature is high and does not melt out in the long cooking process of hours of steaming puddings. No butter or Crisco works, they melt out. But Atora makes a vegetable suet which I use for making the British puds. and other applications. I think it might solve the "melting out" of fats in the vegetable burgers.
14
@Anne Thanks for the mention of vegetable suet!
1
I used Beyond Burger to make Vegetarian Shepard’s Pie. It’s not the same flavor as lamb, but the texture is the same. Crumbling the BB in the pan and slightly undercooking before it bakes works best. The Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, onions, and mushrooms work well with the Beyond burger base. For a vegan version I don’t use butter in the base and no butter and cream in the mashed potatoes.
9
@McHetal Just want to note traditional Worcestershire has anchovies in it.
1
I make 6oz each Impossible Burgers on the grill heavily seasoned with Montreal Steak seasoning and based on a previous Kenji article slathered with mayonnaise. Just 3 minutes per side and covered with quick melting cheese like Halvarti or Fontina with caramelized onions on a brioche bun. Simply awesome.
13
I make 6 oz pastured beef patties on the grill with a tiny amont of salt, less than a minute on each side. One if my kids exclaimed, "OMG, why would anyone put ketchup on it."
It's the real thing.
2
1. It is not meat... it never will be meat... we need to be precise about our language and honest about our foods... this is a protein patty derived from plants. Just like soy "milk" will never be milk... it is at best juice.
2. Quit imitating meat... if you want to eat meat, eat meat. If you are against meat (for whatever reason) do not try to imitate it... own the FACT that you won't eat it and seek to find other ways to prepare your protein out side of impersonating meat.
3. I would seriously suggest people look into the soy they are consuming with the products. Over consumption of soy by men have very clearly been shown to have negative effects on men.
26
These are all sound points but food culture plays a huge part in the way people prepare their meals. If mimicking meat is a viable route to both feed and please people because of the way they’ve been raised and the culture they’ve experienced, so be it.
It takes time, generations even, to change long lived traditions. Let’s be patient and willing to compromise so the benefits of a modern plant food culture has a chance to take root.
31
@Mystery Lits vegetarian here (I’m actually mainly vegan, but it’s difficult to avoid egg and some milk here in South East Asia). Let me give you my perspective: I love the taste of meat. It’s delicious and I’ll never say otherwise.
That being said, I don’t eat meat for a number of reasons, the main one being my health. I was suffering from terrible back pain and cut out meat on the recommendation of my physio - it dropped the pain down from an 8 to a 5 and exercise helped me the rest of the way. Another reason I’m veggie is that it’s much better for the health of the planet. That matters to me.
However, I still miss meat. Beyond and Impossible (and most of the other imitations) are perfect for any cravings I have. I’m content not eating meat, I own that fact and get most of my protein from beans and legumes, but it doesn’t mean I can’t crave something that I used to eat frequently.
And to address point 3, it’s wrong. It’s a complete myth that needs to disappear.
51
@Mystery Lits "It is not meat... it never will be meat... we need to be precise about our language and honest about our foods"
Agreed. I thought the same thing about calling it "meat" when I saw the headline. It reminds me of the ridiculously named "Fat-Free Half-and-Half," which like "plant-based meats" is a contradiction in terms. Half-and-half gets its name from being half cream and half milk, so it technically can't be fat-free if named in such a way. Of course, I don't think it's anything other than Cremora with water added, which no coffee connoisseur would ever use. It's basically the "Cool Whip" of the coffee creamer world.
3
I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 44 years and don't crave the taste of meat, and many days just go vegan. But it's good to see these products on the market and restaurants showing interest in making interesting and tasty dishes using them. I don't try to replicate meat-based dishes and I actually prefer the taste of a "veggie burger" to the "meat substitute" products, but of course that's my preference.
66
I haven't been able to get over the rubbery texture of vegan hamburger, but I like the Beyond Meat Italian sausages which are juicy and a little spicy. I lightly pan fry them on all sides, then slice and pan fry the slices until golden crispy. It makes a great topping for a salad or vegetable stir-fry. I served it to my brother and didn't tell him it was vegan. He honestly couldn't tell the difference. I think the spice probably helps a lot. Your taste buds focus on that instead of the texture.
8
@LL Actually I wonder if what you're reacting to is indeed a poor cooking technique! I hated Beyond Burger the first time I tried it because of that rubbery texture. Then i went to a restaurant where it was prepared by a chef who knew what he was doing, and I found the difference remarkable. I went back home to try it out again, and this time actually read the instructions. Result was very satisfactory indeed.
2
A nutritionist on NPR radio... Let me repeat.. a nutritionist on NPR radio said she and her "life partner" [who is also a nutritionist] recommend we eat grass fed beef instead of plant based beef alternatives. Her concerns were the amount of fertilizers and pesticides in soy are much higher in concentration levels than what is found in grass fed beef.
So once again, a nutritionist on NPR [and her life partner, who is also a nutritionist] recommend grass fed beef over plant based meat alternatives.
13
@Aaron Many people choose not to eat meat for reasons other than or in addition to personal health though. Also, there many vegan foods that are good protein sources other than the products discussed here, including but not limited to ones made of organic soy.
A general comment: I appreciate this article but wish more chefs would develop their own vegetarian or vegan burgers! As a longtime vegan I’d always rather have a chef’s in-house burger than an Impossible burger or the like.
41
@Aaron, did the nutritionist, and her "life partner" [using your quotation marks], also discuss the use of hormones and antibiotics in conventionally raised cattle who are raised on farms and "finished" on feed lots? Just curious whether she made any distinction between "grass fed" and conventionally raised beef cattle.
24
@Genevieve, I agree ... and I'm not even vegan!
I like the vegetarian "burgers", like Gardenburger, that are made out of actual vegetables and mushrooms. While they don't try to mimic ground meat, those burgers taste quite good with condiments, lettuce/tomato/onions, and vegan or dairy cheese.
7
I cooked a Beyond Meat patty in a skillet w olive oil. It smelled awful and I don’t know why. I’ve had them grilled and also an Impossible Whopper, but they didn’t have that smell.
1
I think they taste fine, but the smell when you open the package reminds of cat food.
2
Same here. The burger smelled like burning rubber and was an immediate turn off.
Sorry to nitpick, but the addition of cheese to any of the dishes mentioned makes them lacto-vegetarian, not vegan. Vegans eat no animal products or by-products i.e. cheese, butter, milk and cream, eggs, or even honey.
53
@B If you read the recipe for the vegan cheeseburger, it calls for vegan cheese. It would be an easy substitution to make anyway if it did not.
37
@Andrew Kenji knows very well what he's doing. He'll be using vegan cheese, not dairy cheese. I suggest you check out his "Vegan Month" articles he did for a few years for Serious Eats if you need any convincing that he'll not serve this up with dairy cheese or butter anything else non-vegan.
6
The real test for me will be when I use "Beyond Meat" in place of the ground sirloin in my chili. If no one can detect a difference in taste and texture, then I will be home free.
9
We've made chili, lasagna, and spaghetti using Beyond beef. Sometimes we mixed the Beyond beef with other meats including hamburger, ground turkey, and even ground bison. It's been delicious in every meal and is part of our regular meal planning. On the burger side, a chain here in Austin (Hopdoddy) has a burger with mushrooms, goat cheese, and pesto - the Impossible patty goes excellently with those toppings.
16
I have been very impressed by the taste and texture of the Beyond product and this article has wonderful hints for enhancing the experience even more. I appreciate the ethical and environmental imperatives for moving in this direction but a key consideration is how much easier it is for me to digest a Beyond burger than a beef burger.
120
Totally agree! Easier, shorter digestion and no bloatness for me with “vegan meat” as well.
4
@arp but these veggie alternatives are not inherently more environmentally sound than ethically grown meats.
1
@Colleen M
Yes they are -
https://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/grass-fed-beef-is-just-as-bad-for-the-environment-as-grain-fed/
https://awellfedworld.org/issues/climate-issues/grass-fed-beef/
In any event, there simply isn't enough land to raise grass fed meat if we keep consuming at anywhere near the levels we do currently, so the argument is just a distraction anyway.
2
Agree that whether one is using "vegan meat" as a burger or in a recipe, it requires a high level of seasoning to make it palatable. Maybe future generations who are brought up on only this meat substitute will come to accept its flavor as the norm, but to those of us who know meat, the underlying flavor of pea protein and other ingredients can be very unpleasant, requiring coverup.
But unless the people I'm feeding are unable to eat soy, I will continue to use frozen and thawed tofu as a substitute for meat in chili and similar dishes. It is cheaper and more "real" in its manufacture, and has virtually no flavor that needs disguising. And if they can't eat soy, there is a panoply of excellent vegan dishes that require nothing but produce, grains, and simple seasonings.
9
@Suzanne F, yes, and tofu will take on the flavor of any spices or sauces in your recipes!
While I'm not a vegetarian, I add bulgur wheat to vegetarian chili for texture, and stir-fry tempeh as a plant-based substitute for chicken. [OK, tempeh doesn't *taste* like chicken. It's just delicious in stir-fries, imo.]
5
@Suzanne F, yes, and tofu will take on the flavor of any spices or sauces in your recipes!
While I'm not a vegetarian, I add bulgur wheat to vegetarian chili for texture, and stir-fry tempeh as a plant-based substitute for chicken. [OK, tempeh doesn't *taste* like chicken. It's just delicious in stir-fries, imo.] Mushrooms are another great meat-like substitute for ground beef.
@Suzanne F, yes, and tofu will take on the flavor of any spices or sauces in your recipes!
I also add bulgur wheat to vegetarian chili for texture, and stir-fry tempeh as a plant-based substitute for chicken. [OK, tempeh doesn't *taste* like chicken. It's just delicious in stir-fries, imo.] Mushrooms are another great meat-like substitute for ground beef.
1
This is a great article for its suggestions on how vegan meat-alternatives suit different kinds of recipes and cooking methods.
In our experience (and we're not expert chefs), we get the best results at home with Beyond Burgers when we bake them first for about 18 minutes in a small pan (usually at the same time as our home fries), and then finish them with a quick searing in a frying pan on the stove top. The pan we use in the oven keeps them moist but not spongy until they're nearly cooked through, with the stove top sear adding a bit of crunch and texture at the end, without drying them out.
74