I’ve been a vegetarian for nigh on 13 years now, and let me tell you: the veggie replacements for meat have grown exponentially better in time, with Beyond Beef taking the cake when it comes to replicating the meaty flavours I still crave.
Regardless if you eat meat or not, you can’t deny that the consumption of animals is something that is detrimental to the Earth, with the United Nations calling for the humans transfer to a more veggie-based diets amid climate change.
Luckily, for veggies and meat-eaters alike, there are heaps of great meat substitutes on offer. Long gone are the days where the only veggie burger option was a fried cake of mushed up peas, carrots, and potatoes claiming to be a good replacement for meat, because Beyond Beef mince has showed my taste buds that you don’t have to compromise on flavour just because you don’t want to actually eat animals.
Now being sold at Coles supermarkets around Australia, Beyond Beef are hocking their meat-less ‘beef’ mince for $18/500g, and I just had to get my mitts on some and try it.
To give it the best test possible, I made two separate meals with it: a classic spaghetti bolognese because that’s one thing that I was truly missing the most, and an Asian-inspired dish of teriyaki smothered meatballs over rice.
First off, let’s just imagine a world where you don’t have to worry about if your meat is undercooked or overcooked, because you can just eat this mince straight from the package if you like. Personally, I couldn’t resist a small teaspoon of it before I got down to cooking, and the flavour popped out instantly and took me back to my carnivorous days of grilling hamburgers with my family.
Spaghetti Bolognese with Beyond Beef Mince:
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Getting down to cooking, spaghetti bolognese was first on the menu, and it turned out absolutely delicious. When adding the mince to the skillet alongside some onions and a bit of olive oil, the ‘meat’ quickly browned just like regular beef mince would, while even gaining a few crispy bits that were full of flavour.
After adding in some liquid smoke for an extra meat-like experience along with onion powder, minced garlic, salt, and pepper, the aroma throughout my house was to die for.
Soon after, I mixed through some tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, steamed and diced carrots, balsamic vinegar, and vegetable broth, and the sauce was on it’s way to being the best damn spaghetti bolognese I’ve had in all my vegetarian years.
Once the pasta was perfectly al dente, I mixed it all together in the sauce, and even my non-veggie husband was convinced that Beyond Meat’s ‘beef’ mince was something special, and a high rival for actual mince.
Teriyaki Meatballs over Rice with Beyond Beef Mince:
Next up on the menu is one of our favourite dishes that I typically cook with tempeh – meatballs smothered in a teriyaki sauce served over rice with a sprinkling of green onions on top.
Making the meatballs was easy-peasy considering that the mince is very malleable just like regular mince would be. When previously making this with tempeh, I would typically have to puree the tempeh, then move on to making the meatballs, so it was nice to eliminate the step.
Mixing the mince with some onion, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, breadcrumbs, and liquid smoke made the perfect meatball that was in the oven and ready to bake lickity-split.
Fast-forward twenty minutes, and the meatballs were perfectly browned, along with having a nice glistening sheen on the outside, with perfectly crisp corners that turned out to be the best, and most meaty bits.
After whipping up a quick teriyaki sauce, and cooking the rice, serving was super simple because these meatballs held together so well. Long gone are the days where I curse at the meatballs I’ve created because they fall apart before I can get them onto the plate.
Again, noting but good vibes came from this dish, with my husband noting that it tasted better than ever, leaving us both wishing for a second helping.
Flavour wise, the Beyond Beef mince was everything my veggie soul could dream about: flavourful, works exactly the same as regular mince, and tasted just like the real deal. My only qualm is that the cost could leave others who are keen to try the meat-less lifestyle at a bit of a quandary, as it’s price tag is higher than actual beef mince.
Final rating of Beyond Beef meat-less mince: 9.5/10
Keen to try Beyond Beef meat-less mince for yourself? The meatiest experience awaits you at your local Coles.
