I did not expect it. Like, honestly did NOT expect it. I’ve had plant based dishes. Chili, sausage and all kinds of meat substitute options but Beyond Meat Burgers… Geeeeeeesh was it good! I was thoroughly impressed with the product.
Now, let’s make this clear, my wife can cook. Before this MS diagnosis, she was my 2nd favorite culinary artist, only to my Mom because I’m loyal. Since my diagnosis, her talents have really blossomed. I kidnap credit for this fact because she cooks all this Pinterest-spawned, Pescatarian stuff. The Beyond Meat Burger was her idea. She scooped them from our local H-EB grocery store, galloped in on a random Monday evening, laid the patties out and proclaimed, “I got something special for you.”
She seasoned the patties with salt, pepper, garlic, onion and… *looks around* That damn Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning! First impression came from how well the patties held the seasonings. I remember flashes of garlic and creole spices starting with the introductory bite! I even commented about this to the chef, in real time. Yes, it was exciting because it made me feel like a food critic.😉 Besides how well Beyond Meat Burgers held seasonings and spices, the texture was very similar to a ground beef patty. It’s been a long two years since my last meat burger but this was it. It LOOKED like a burger, felt like a burger and chewed like a burger. I do vividly recall how easily the patty came apart with my original meal. It was fully loaded, Romain lettuce, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and a green, chili pepper salsa. I admitted my wife can cook! With all those additions, I wasn’t surprised the patty succumbed to the weight but it surrendered on my second bite. It still tasted GREAT but damn. The next day, I solved the problem with sliced cheese. Yup, I melted a slice of pepper jack on top of the meat. That singular cheesy addition, I kept the others as well, made a world of difference. The patty held up throughout the entire meal and gave me another reason to brag on Beyond Meat; it has a minimal leftover effect. For newbies, the leftover effect is the collective loss of goodness in a meal after you reheat it, the next day. That’s right, it was still good, the NEXT DAY. As the plate rotated in the microwave, it sizzled and popped but most importantly; I could see the juices oozing along the crevices and cracks of the patty. It was glorious.
Burgers and wings are the meat that I’ve missed the most as a Pescatarian. For a solid two years, I’ve experimented with various meat substitutes but nothing has satisfied this craving for flesh. Soybean, tofu, legumes, eggplant, etc. have all failed to adequately replace good, ol burger meat. Then, one night in May 2019, Beyond Meat Burgers saved my sanity and cleared the craving!
