Meat substitutes have become almost ‘impossible’ to pick, and there are tips to getting on the gravy train of consumers going meatless.
Plant-based alternatives to meat have become exponentially better in recent years with the rise of the Impossible Burger and the CSIRO’s V2 mince, to the point where few would realise if not told that their juicy burger or hearty mince was not made by a cow.
America’s Test Kitchen released Cooking With Plant-Based Meat, on the best practises for cooking these new products, which while looking and tasting almost identical to the original thing do cook far faster and can have some peculiarities.
An easy option for the regular or events menu is Vegan Pub Sliders.
Ingredients required – makes 8 sliders
Slider patties
360g plant-based ground meat (eg. Impossible Foods, CSIRO’s V2 mince)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 slider hamburger buns
4 slices plant-based cheese
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup water
Sauce
2 tablespoons plant-based mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Method
1.
Sauce: whisk together all sauce ingredients. Can be refrigerated for up to four days prior to use.
2.
Sliders:
TIPS:
- For best results, use a block of ground plant-based meat, rather than pre-prepared patties
- Chill patties before use, so they are less likely to break apart
- Press chopped onions onto one side to char as the burger cooks
Roll pinches of the ground meat into eight balls. Put each ball (individually) between two pieces of parchment paper and use a clear plate or dish (so you can see the meat) to press the ball into a 10cm wide patty. Repeat with the remaining balls.
Sprinkle the patties with salt and pepper and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
3.
Apply the sauce evenly across the bun bottoms and arrange them on a serving platter.
Cut the cheese into 16 pieces/slices.
4.
Using a contained hotplate or skillet that can be covered: over medium-high heat, heat two teaspoons of vegetable oil until just smoking and lay down four patties. Sprinkle half the onion over the tops of the patties and press firmly into the surface with a spatula. Cook until well browned on the first side – about one minute.
Flip the patties, and two pieces of cheese to each, and add the bun tops.
Add two tablespoons of water to the hotplate and cover. Cook for around 90 seconds, until the cheese is melted.
5.
Transfer the patties and bun tops onto the bun bottoms and cover (such as tenting with aluminium foil) while you repeat the process for the remaining patties and bun tops.
Serve
Warm.
One per guest as an appetizer or two as a main.
