If you are new to the vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, cooking with plant-based meat can seem intimidating at first. In reality, it is as easy as cooking with actual meat, if not easier. Most plant-based meat substitutes are fully cooked, and even the ones that are not, are safe to eat. Cooking with them should inspire confidence that you and those you feed will stay safe.
To put it in context, you might eat a turnip or a mushroom right out of the ground, and you would definitely be safe if you did. No one is going out to the farm and eating chicken raw and freshly plucked. Plant-based products require slightly different techniques, but once you know the ins and outs, you will be comfortable cooking with plant-based products every day. There are a few different types of meat substitutes, thus a few different techniques to learn.
Crumbles
These are typically made of textured vegetable protein or TVP for short. The bae mixture of these varies depending on the brand. Many are soy-based, but there are also crumble made from mycoprotein (mushrooms), corn, and other ingredients. Crumbles are made to resemble browned ground beef and can be used in the same way you would use ground beef crumbles. The unseasoned crumbles can be mixed into chili, spaghetti sauce, or stroganoff.
The biggest thing to remember about crumbles is that overcooking can lead to the binding elements disintegrating, causing them to lose all texture. Add crumbles near the end of cooking, whether you are simmering (soups and sauces), or sauteeing. Otherwise, you can put them anywhere you might see browned ground meat.
Patties
There are many burger patty substitutes available and are many people’s first foray into meat substitutes. Regardless of how you like your burger, there are companies producing a vegan substitute that you will love. The classic patty is fully cooked and mimics a well-done grilled burger. These patties use different elements, from soy to black beans, along with brown rice or mushroom to mimic the taste, look, and texture of cooked beef patties. These patties are extremely easy to use. Just heat and eat
There are newer players in the meat-free burger market that use proprietary blends of vegetables including beets to mimic the texture of a medium-rare burger. These burgers even bleed, making them so realistic that they can turn some long-term vegans off. If you are making the switch to eating less or no meat, these patties can be a great place to start. To cook them, treat them just like a raw burger patty. Sear in a hot skillet, and cook until warm.
Breaded and Fried
There is an old culinary secret of the American south that people the world over are learning as well. Everything tastes better when it is deep-fried. There are quite a few companies producing breaded chicken substitutes, with varying degrees of success. Many long-standing brands have been producing these products for years. Newer brands are perfecting processes that many of the bigger players have settled on, so if you have tried a fried meat substitute before and didn’t like it, it might be worth trying again.
These are a great introduction if you are learning to eat meat-free. Many of them mimic chicken well enough that you (or your children) might not even notice the difference, especially if you are used to more processed, less whole muscle nuggets. Heat them in the oven and dip in sauce, or top the larger patties with marinara and provolone for a quick chicken parm.
Regardless of how you use them, plant-based meats are a great healthy addition to your diet. If you want to incorporate them into your cooking, you don’t need a specialized cookbook or new recipes. Take one of the many products currently on the market and incorporate them into your existing way of eating. You can start today!
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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