This archive report was first published on 6 September 2019.
The Fake Meat Experiment ¶
As a lifelong meat eater, I've always been curious about plant-based protein products. My wife, however, is skeptical. A good grass-fed steak from our local butcher doesn't need flashy packaging or buzzwords to sell itself, she argues.
My daughter, seven, and son, five, are even more leery. Their usual diet consists of hot dogs, burgers (the meat kind), and buttered pasta. But with plant-based proteins now infiltrating everything from Whole Foods to White Castle, why shouldn't we at least indulge our curiosity?
So, I decided to conduct a taste test of some popular plant-based meat alternatives. I started with Impossible Foods' ground beef and Beyond Meat's burger patties.
Impossible Foods' beef resembled the real thing, even in prep work. To mimic the look and flavor of animal blood, Impossible uses soy leghemoglobin, a substance so viscous that it requires a thorough hand scrubbing to keep me from appearing like a horror-movie victim.
After cooking the patties, I served them to my kids, who gobbled them down. Encouraged, I dressed my own burger with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and a mixture of mayo, ketchup, and relish. Impossible didn't rival my all-time favorites, but it instantly replaced all my bad memories of veggie burgers.
Next, I tried Beyond Meat's burger patties. They're pea-protein-based, not soy-based, and don't contain soy leghemoglobin. Beyond does mimic the taste, texture, and juiciness of a beef burger effectively, but I found that it had an aftertaste that killed off the good vibes you get from saving a few cows.
Then, I moved on to Beyond Meat's sausages. For as much attention as soy-based burger patties have received, I'm surprised more people haven't caught on to the world of pseudo sausage. Beyond's bratwurst and hot Italian sausage have been on the market less than two years, and I'm now sold on the fact that their flavor, texture, and versatility outperform those of any of the alt-burgers.
Finally, I tried Good Catch's approximation of albacore tuna. A good tuna melt is one of my top comfort foods, so I was eager to see if Good Catch's six-legume blend could satisfy. I mixed the faux tuna with my usual recipe of mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, capers, and celery. I tasted it for seasoning. Not bad. Then I loaded two scoops onto wheat toast followed by slices of sharp cheddar. Under the broiler, the melting cheese blanketed the 'tuna' and bubbled.
