Question for vegetarian cooks about the fake meat products

[Anonymous]

I am hoping someone who cooks with the fake meat products like Beyond Meat can advise me. I have a recipe for homemade sloppy joes that I want to turn vegetarian. My normal recipe calls for browning ground beef, then dumping in a bunch of other ingredients and then simmering for an hour (or more).
If I sub in one of the fake meat products, I presume I don’t ‘brown’ it first, but will it hold up if I simmer it for an hour? Alternatively, I could cook everything else for some time, then add the fake meat at a later point and simmer for a shorter time. I think the flavors meld together better if they all cook together longer, but I’m not sure the fake meat can take it without either getting very tough or maybe just breaking down.
All advice appreciated.

[Anonymous]

If you are using frozen crumbles put it in directly and no need to cook. If you are using the beyond meat, precook it like regular meat. I don’t think you need to simmer for an hour.

[Anonymous]

Doing the DCUM thing and not answering the question you asked, but I find lentils a great sub for ground beef. My whole family loves Jamie Oliver’s lentil sloppy joes.

https://www.jamieoliver.com/features/vegan-sloppy-joe/

I also use lentils to make stroganoff, spaghetti bolognese, meatballs, meatloaf, and more. I like it way better than the fake meats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doing the DCUM thing and not answering the question you asked, but I find lentils a great sub for ground beef. My whole family loves Jamie Oliver’s lentil sloppy joes.

https://www.jamieoliver.com/features/vegan-sloppy-joe/

I also use lentils to make stroganoff, spaghetti bolognese, meatballs, meatloaf, and more. I like it way better than the fake meats.

Except that isn’t the question. The fake meats are gross and smelly but others like them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am hoping someone who cooks with the fake meat products like Beyond Meat can advise me. I have a recipe for homemade sloppy joes that I want to turn vegetarian. My normal recipe calls for browning ground beef, then dumping in a bunch of other ingredients and then simmering for an hour (or more).
If I sub in one of the fake meat products, I presume I don’t ‘brown’ it first, but will it hold up if I simmer it for an hour? Alternatively, I could cook everything else for some time, then add the fake meat at a later point and simmer for a shorter time. I think the flavors meld together better if they all cook together longer, but I’m not sure the fake meat can take it without either getting very tough or maybe just breaking down.
All advice appreciated.

For chili, I simmered the other ingredients and then added browned beyond the last 20 min.

[Anonymous]

I agree, use Trader Joe’s lentils in the refrigerated produce section! So fast. They are already cooked and taste so much better.

[Anonymous]

I’d cook it separately and add at the end. And yes I agree lentils are great in chili

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d cook it separately and add at the end. And yes I agree lentils are great in chili

NP. And taco filling!

[Anonymous]

I would use chopped up tempeh, or very firm tofu diced with black beans. Id toss tofu or tempeh in first with olive oil and diced onion,, stir fry,, then add tomatoe puree, little tomatoe paste, little bit honey, worchestershire, soy sauce, salt/pepper. Just stir and heat to serve. no browning. Browning is to cook raw meat.

Gardein brand sells ground crumbles in frozen aisle that are good too. Just toss in pan with little olive oil, add other ingredients.

[Anonymous]

Thanks all. Some good suggestions. Intrigued by the lentils suggestion. As for the larger recipe, I’m trying to keep my family’s favorite recipe, but adapt for someone who can no longer eat red meat.

[Anonymous]

If you use a frozen product that doesn’t brown like Morningstar or Quorn you can just dump it in but the Beyond stuff I would brown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks all. Some good suggestions. Intrigued by the lentils suggestion. As for the larger recipe, I’m trying to keep my family’s favorite recipe, but adapt for someone who can no longer eat red meat.

Can you make it with ground turkey or chicken? I realize that I, too, am not answering your actual question . I am just not a fan of “fake” meat. I like the lentil idea a lot and I bet there are recipes using diced mushrooms as a sub for ground meat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks all. Some good suggestions. Intrigued by the lentils suggestion. As for the larger recipe, I’m trying to keep my family’s favorite recipe, but adapt for someone who can no longer eat red meat.

Use the morning star crumbles. They are the easiest. My family loves the fake meats but they stink and are gross. Costco has best prices. They don’t seem all that healthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks all. Some good suggestions. Intrigued by the lentils suggestion. As for the larger recipe, I’m trying to keep my family’s favorite recipe, but adapt for someone who can no longer eat red meat.

lentils aren't good for my stomach. Would take a ton of lentils to make 1 sloppy joe. ouch

[Anonymous]

I am a vegetarian. I tend to cook meat crumbles separately because they do not cook like regular meat. Simmering this is just not a good idea. I have moved away from substitute meat products because they are actually unhealthier than real meat. However, I would never use lentils for chili as that would be a culinary crime. The hard thing about being a real vegetarian is accepting that you are not going to be able to enjoy some of the things you did before.