Like many people, I think there are few foods tastier than a grilled cheeseburger (or a grilled steak). But when I read an article about how the ranchers who are cutting down vast swaths of the Amazon rain forest are doing it so they can raise cattle, I thought I should consider the alternatives. I'm going to pass on our experiences.
This isn't meant to be a screed about how the world's agriculture business is like the world's oil business, a giant contributor to climate change. After all, I still own gas-powered vehicles, and I heat my house with hydro-carbon fuel. But I imagine that it won't be long before I buy electric vehicles and consider a heat pump to replace the furnace. Likewise, I wondered if I could make a tiny difference by switching to the new plant-based burger substitutes.
Two popular products are Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger. They are 100% made with plants (soy beans and such).
We bought some of each. And we've now cooked multiple variations.
First impressions? They are both quite oily and hard to form into patties that don't fall apart. The Beyond Burger has a less attractive aroma before it's cooked. Although, after it cooks, it's much better. Both Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger stick to whatever they touch (wax paper, frying pan, plastic wrap), and the effort to release the burger for unwrapping or flipping once they are cooking tends to break the burgers apart.
We added several ingredients, mixing in chopped green peppers, chopped, cooked onions and other vegetables. Another time, we mixed in a scrambled egg to help hold the burger together, and that seemed to help.
We learned that if you put the burger directly on the grill, it tends to break up and fall through. So we cook them on the type of grilling pan that is filled with holes. And we use olive oil on the pan to help keep the burger from sticking.
We cooked the burgers thoroughly enough to get a singe on the surface even though the hole-filled grilling pan makes that difficult. But the pan makes it easier to turn the burgers without them falling apart. We topped the burgers with sharp cheddar cheese, and serve them up with fresh tomatoes and spinach. Along with the Plant Burgers, we grilled corn on the cob with the husks on until the husks are burnt nearly black, which gives the corn a golden quality. Sometimes we grill slices of small zucchinis to add to the combo.
The results? A tasty treat that is absolutely enjoyable. We really like them. After several meals of Plant Burgers, we no longer wonder if they're good enough. They are!
But the key is... Don't think of them as hamburgers! They simply aren't similar enough to taste the same. If instead, you think of them as a new kind of grilled treat, they are very tasty.
Which is better, Beyond Burger or Impossible Burger? We both thought the Impossible Burger tasted better, and it also smells better before it's cooked. (No small thing, that.)
In addition, knowing that our Plant Burgers don't add to global warming is a real plus. Knowing that one of those charming cute cows we drive by in Carson Valley didn't die for us is also reassuring.
And there are other small benefits. Whenever you work with animal meat, you have to be extra careful about cleanliness and how thoroughly you cook, for salmonella reasons or otherwise. That concern is largely gone considering Plant Burgers are basically a new type of veggie. We also like knowing that plant burgers don't give us blast of cholesterol in our diet.
Will we abandon beef as a result? We already have. Again, plant burgers don't taste the same as beef. But they're a good substitute with lots of advantages.
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