Meat substitutes

[Sebastian Cobb]

I made that Meera Sodha pak choi thingl last night but made the mistake of getting this tofu for it:



Stuff fell to pieces and ended up like I'd taken a hammer to a brain just gently taking it out the packet .

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Have had a couple of goes at that stuff. First one went as you described, second time I laid a plate flat on the top and it firmed up as it dried out. Easier to cut into cubes and held its form. Once you brown the outsides that brings each cube into becoming an object with structural integrity. Needs gentle handling.

[Bazooka]

It's too Silken for your #MeToo groping claws.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Have had a couple of goes at that stuff. First one went as you described, second time I laid a plate flat on the top and it firmed up as it dried out. Easier to cut into cubes and held its form. Once you brown the outsides that brings each cube into becoming an object with structural integrity. Needs gentle handling.

I was going to do that but it had already fell apart. Dunno if it got kicked about in transit or something.

[dissolute ocelot]

I like the Tesco vegan feta. It's hard for vegan cheeses to emulate real cheese properly but the Tesco feta is nice in a salad.

Biggest problem with vegan cheese, once you get used to them or forget what dairy cheese is like, is that they are a nutritional void. Dairy cheese is at least a source of protein, vitamins and minerals. Vegan cheese is just bad fat.

Apologies, I was thinking of vegan halloumi, which is weirdly dry and cardboardy. But definitely true about vegan cheese nutritionally. Especially as they seem to make it a point of pride to not include nuts, soy, or wheat (I guess it's good for allergies but nothing else.) Vegan cheese on pizza seems a nice idea, but after a couple of slices you're acutely aware it's a blend of oil and cornflour.

Have had a couple of goes at that stuff. First one went as you described, second time I laid a plate flat on the top and it firmed up as it dried out. Easier to cut into cubes and held its form. Once you brown the outsides that brings each cube into becoming an object with structural integrity. Needs gentle handling.

Silken tofu can be a nightmare, it is more used for floating in soups or for blending, although if you see extra firm silken it's firmer (!). Wrap in paper towels or dish towels to dry.

A problem is a lot of non-silken tofu on sale here has a rather spongy, grainy, hole-filled texture, which isn't nice for a lot of purposes. There seems a sense in the west that tofu should be rustic and lumpy and full of holes (e.g. Cauldron's stuff) but if you can find proper far-eastern mass-produced tofu like Unicurd it's a smoother texture. I think Tofoo is the best brand of those you see in supermarkets, they seem to aim for nice smooth texture rather than being all concerned about being natural and organic.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

We tried vegan cheese (I forget which) on pizza once and it came out of the oven looking like we'd just poured a bottle of cooking oil on the bread. Not good.

That was a few years ago, though. Maybe it's improved since then.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I made that Meera Sodha pak choi thingl last night but made the mistake of getting this tofu for it:



Stuff fell to pieces and ended up like I'd taken a hammer to a brain just gently taking it out the packet .

I almost bought a 12 pack of those off Amazon yesterday but noticed some people complaining in the reviews about the lack of firmness. Apparently the Extra Firm are just as bad in that respect.

I used to make jerk tofu quite a lot, marinate the tofu and stick the small cubes in the oven so they're nice and crispy. Served with balsamic tomatoes and coconut lime rice, beautiful.

[Sebastian Cobb]

That's intriguing, I love jerk chicken.

It's a shame there's no veggie equivalent for a block like a chicken thigh where it's just a vehicle for sauce.

[brassmonkey]

+1 for Tofoo- also doesn't need pressing or fucking around with paper towels. Vegetarian Butcher chicken pieces are amazing. Can't wait to get my hands on some weird stem cell meat- willing to roll the dice on it mutating my DNA for the sake of a decent burger.

[greencalx]

Tofoo is our goto tofu. Comes in a variety of finishes, including mahogany.

[El Unicornio, mang]

That's intriguing, I love jerk chicken.

This is one recipe for it, although any jerk marinade works. They're good as just bite-sized snacks as well.

https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/jamaican-jerk-tofu-bowls/

[imitationleather]

The jerk store called... They've run out of you!

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Who needs fake meat? We've got imitation leather.

[thugler]

I made that Meera Sodha pak choi thingl last night but made the mistake of getting this tofu for it:



Stuff fell to pieces and ended up like I'd taken a hammer to a brain just gently taking it out the packet .

It's SILKEN tofu you dope.

Make it into scrambled eggs for breakfast, by adding a little garlic and turmeric and black salt, and frying it up. It's delicious that way

[steve98]

Who needs fake meat?

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

We tried vegan cheese (I forget which) on pizza once and it came out of the oven looking like we'd just poured a bottle of cooking oil on the bread. Not good.

That was a few years ago, though. Maybe it's improved since then.

There are so many different formulations attacking the problem from different angles, and everything from sub-Kraft singles to farmer's market style posho cheese that it's genuinely difficult to make a snap judgement.

I understand there's a pizza place in London that reckons it has cracked vegan mozzarella.

[thugler]

Supermarket vegan cheese tends to be coconut oil based, and tastes okayish but the nutritional content is mainly sat fat.

Have had other ones made from other stuff now and then but don't seem as widely available.

[Bazooka]

I eat meat, but saw this on my shop so decided to give it a whirl, it's more expensive than a pack of  Cruga beef Biltong I buy.

It's got a good bite to it, definitely matched the texture of the sort of ground beef jerky, less fat but more sugars than the beef expecditedly, lots of white pepper which is lovely for a pepper head like myself.

[thugler]

Ooh, I had a vegan black pudding the other day. Fucking excellent. Texture is not exactly the same, but the flavour is really nice. a lot of it is black beans apparently.

[JaDanketies]

Ooh, I had a vegan black pudding the other day. Fucking excellent. Texture is not exactly the same, but the flavour is really nice. a lot of it is black beans apparently.

I had that, was nice. Gf refused to try it because she is grossed out by the idea of real black puddings.

[Replies From View]

An excellent substitute for meat is of course muscle.  Seagulls absolutely love the stuff!!

[gib]

Where did you get these black puddings?

[El Unicornio, mang]

Something for Armie Hammer:

https://www.livekindly.co/vegan-cannibals-rejoice-theres-finally-plant-based-version-human-flesh/

[thugler]

Where did you get these black puddings?

A fancy deli/health food shop. But they were cheap, about 2 quid ish. I bought two and they've lasted me a while for breakfasts and stuff.

[Replies From View]

If they are so tasty then how come two of them have lasted for more than two breakfasts?

[thugler]

If they are so tasty then how come two of them have lasted for more than two breakfasts?

haha! a few thin slices goes a long way I think.

[holyzombiejesus]

They do similar looking veg black puddings near to where I live. I try not to buy vegetarian stuff from people who predominantly sell meat (McDonalds type places, that Black Pudding company, those sausage people).



Simon Whatsisface makes really nice ones in his vegetarian restaurant in Didsbury, served with mustard mayo.

[thugler]

Yeah, agree on avoiding the meat makers fake meat if possible. I see fake meat as an occasional treat really. I have an endless appetite for beans and pulses and tofu that more than makes up for it.

[nugget]

Germany is at least 5 years behind the UK when it comes to this stuff. I find Garden Gourmet stuff is usually fairly decent but on the whole the limited range of vegetarian 'meat' products tend sto be pretty awful. I'd love to be able to get hold of some Linda McCartney red onion and rosemary sausages, used to love them before I moved away.

[Dex Sawash]

twed/dewt mentioned these in the lockdown junk food thread. They are good air fried or as fajita protein.  Haven't tested in a wet sauce yet but will probably stand up. The 8oz bag makes a ludicrous amount once hydrated.