Ganeshram - Cooking with Beyond and Impossible Meat

While soy-based alternative meats graduated into burgers and hot dogs around the same time, they were notable for their strange texturenot like meat at all but certainly packing a protein punch. Textured vegetable protein and textured soy protein were stand-ins for ground meat that approximated texture but didnt fool meat lovers. For a long time, these soy-based alternative meats comprised the majority of the market. In the 2000s, companies were looking to create alternatives when soy got a bad rap as an estrogen receptor that was potentially harmful for those at risk for breast cancer or breast cancer patientsa belief since debunked by scientists. Some of those alternativeslike Quornuse mushroom protein in place of soy, and others use a more processed form of legume. Modern plant-based alternative meats are a far cry from early optionsbelievably approximating animal meat in their look, smell and taste.

More crucially, their texture is often indiscernible from their animal-based counterparts. This is important for creating dishes that will leave you both satisfied and wanting more. Happily, there is a large international canon of ground meat recipeslikely because ground meat is more economical than more expensive cutsmeaning there is a wonderful variety of dishes for which to use alternative meats. The two major brands on the marketImpossible meat and Beyond Meatcome in enough variety that its easy to substitute them for meat in an array of dishes including appetizers, soups and sides, but the best news is for the main course. There are sausages, patties, ground meat options and crumbles. This may leave you asking: Which alternative meat should I choose? The answer lies in what you want to prepare and, as with any recipe, what flavor profile youre looking for.

This book focuses on the following brands and options for both variety and availability on the market: Beyond Meat: The Beyond Meat company started like Impossible Burger with a simple pre-formed hamburger you could make at home that smells like a beef burger and even bleeds. The company has brought other options to market very quickly, including 1-pound (454-g) ground meat packages, crumbles, sausage patties and sausages. Taking into account the texture and taste of the product, this book has recipes for each. For example, while the 1-pound (454-g) packages of ground meat are great for kebabs because of their fat content, theyre not as good for tacosthe crumbles are better suited for that. Also, look for the raw product to be used in recipes where we will want to break up the meat finely versus having larger crumbles. Beyond Meat is the go-to for those who are also avoiding gluten and soy in their alternative meats.

Impossible meat: The other biggest player in the alternative meat market is Impossible Foods, which first hit the market in the fast-food world with the Impossible Burgerand is still a bestseller. Unlike, Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods raw meat product comes in a 12-ounce (340-g) versus 16-ounce (454-g) package. Still, you can generally use the Impossible Foods 12-ounce (340-g) package in recipes calling for 16 ounces or 1 pound (454 g) of meat. This is because the shrinkage on the Impossible Foods brand of products is less than other alternative meats. Like Beyond Meat, Impossible meat products do not have glutenalthough an early iteration of the brand did contain wheat proteinbut they do have soy. Impossible Foods has also created a sausage patty that, as of this writing, has yet to hit the supermarket aisles.

The company is also perfecting an Impossible Pork product. If the quality of the beef-type product is any indication, the Impossible Sausage and Impossible Pork will prove a wonderful addition to the vegan meat repertoire for dishes that dont require the heavier, fattier taste of beef-type substitutes. See the list below for recipes for which you can substitute Impossible Pork when it hits the grocery store market: Trader Joes and Other Store Brands: Where possible, this book will offer options such as the Trader Joes store brand of meatless burgers, meat and Turkeyless turkey burgers, or protein patties as they are branded. I have found, however, that while many of them are very good, they are not quite on par with the branded products listed on the previous page. Tips & TechniquesFrozen vs. Raw Unlike real ground meat, many of these products do not do well when prepared from a purely frozen state.

Raw meat alternatives do not retain their shape and texture when cooked from frozen. Most crumble products are, however, meant to be cooked while frozen and will maintain their quality. Defrosting & Storage Both Impossible meat and Beyond Meat products should be defrosted in the refrigerator until completely soft. Store either for up to ten days in the refrigerator and do not refreeze. Additionally, throughout the book youll find tips and techniques to use these products to their best advantage in specific recipes, as well as advice regarding which is best suited to your recipe because not all alternative meats are alike. Also included are tips on freezing raw and cooked preparations and making ahead, as well as what cooking preparations really workand what preparations dont.

For example, burgers and kebabs really dont do well straight on the barbecue grill, but they can be started on a sheet of tinfoil and then moved directly onto the grill later. Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat alternatives are constantly expanding their lines of products with a wide range that include a variety of textures from raw meat to crumbles and sausage, which are more suited for dishes beyond entres. Youll find a variety of recipes for every meal occasionfrom appetizers, soups and small bites that are perfect for a party or as the beginning of a meal for a crowd. But the main course is where alternative meats really shine, and they are excellent for making vegan meals heartier and more filling. Dont discount the fact that these meaty substitutes can also be used for lighter fare like kebabs and stir-fries. With recipes from around the world that originally use ground meats as their base, theres a good variety of dishes in this book for all tastes and texture lovers.