I had an Impossible Burger last week
13https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impossible_Foods
Have you heard of this? I hadn’t. I knew some companies are always working on meat-replacement recipes and whatnot, but the hype around the Impossible had skipped me entirely.
So when I sauntered into a local place that had an “impossible burger” on the menu, and had a little quip about its marvelous meat-less-ness, I had to ask the waiter what he thought. He was a fan. And since I’m always happy to eat vegetarianly, I figured it was worth trying.
The result was pretty great! It came with a bed of mashed potatoes, and nicely-cooked chewy rice, a big ol’ Impossible patty, all covered in very good mushroom gravy. (I was expecting a burger w/ a bun and suchlike, but that was not to be.)
The texture and taste of the patty was 50% convincing. Half of my brain was going, “Oh, I get it! They are totally tricking me with this flavor and that flavor…oh interesting! Yeah, that’s pretty clever and meatlike,”, and the other half was going, “Yeah, well, it’s never going to fool anyone who’s had an actual beef burger in the past decade…but it’s still tasty.”
Now…the waiter and I got to chatting, and it turns out there’s been quiiiiiite a bit of hoopla about this stuff. It was very limited in initial release, and people were scrambling to get to the few restaurants where it was available, etc. And at CES recently (CE frickin’ S!!) they announced the upcoming release of Impossible Burger 2.0 like it was a freakin’ software update. In fact, the whole scene is meant to dazzle you with the prospect of “technological foods”. Which is dumb. And probably what our stupid future looks like. But if you get a chance to try one, I’d say you ought to. It’s pretty yummy, and (they claim) it has a lighter footstomp on ol’ Mom Nature than beef does.
I just hope you don’t have to pay $20 for it like I did.
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/youtube Hellthyjunkfood impossible burger
@RiotDemon that video is twice as long as it should be. Thrice as long, maybe. But I hope it’s that simple (just four ingredients!) to make. Veggie burgers across the globe will improve overnight!
@UncleVinny spoiler: it’s not 4 ingredients.
So, possible burger?
Diabolically responsible.
I would suggest trying the Beyond Burger as well, it’s also quite good but doesn’t replicate the texture of meat as well.
The 2.0 release is a big deal in terms of them claiming to have found a way to make the patties not crumble so easily and will have retail distribution for the first time.
If you want an easy way to try the Impossible Burger 1.0 it’s at White Castle.
@evantribley Yeah, I was looking into Beyond Meats just today (a little pricey). I have a recipe for veggie burgers that I made from combining several online recipes (TVP, strong flour, nutritional yeast, etc), but I’m still searching for a good ready-made meat-alternative burger. Don’t get me wrong, I love some beef, but I should give my body a better chance to be healthier.
November 2017, I had my gallbladder out. For two days afterward, I had a mostly liquid diet. The next week or so after that was filled with plain chicken breast with a little broth, and rice. Needless to say, I was craving a big, juicy protein bomb, but doctors advise against that because the gallbladder helps digest rich and fatty foods. Otherwise, your liver has to work overtime.
Enter, the Impossible Burger. My first meal “out” post-surgery was a visit to a Chicago-famous chain called Kuma’s Corner. Thanks to their commitment to vegan-friendly food for artists in the metal music community, they started offering Impossible’s. So my return to real food consisted of an Impossible patty, vegan cheddar, vegan garlic aioli, cherry tomato jam, and avocado relish all on a vegan pretzel bun.
I know “vegan” doesn’t necessarily mean “healthy,” but I’ll be damned if I didn’t feel like I was raging against my new diet plan machine. It really tasted like I was getting away with something.
But it does depend on the preparation. I came back a few weeks later to try it again, and I was kind of disappointed. Something was off, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. I hope it’s not a case of me eating boring food for so long and then shocking my tastebuds with something passing itself off as meat.
Adam Savage (from Mythbusters & Tested) has a video review of the Impossible Burger.
My version of the impossible burger would be true Kobe Wagyu but at $20 an ounce, it ain’t gonna happen.
OTOH, I have had veggie burgers and they’re pretty good. I don’t think I would want them to be fake beef flavor though. Better to be what they are.
I am a vegetarian of 10 years. My girlfriend loves to eat real burgers… And I miss real burgers.
This weekend I got her to try the impossible burger. She wasn’t over the moon by any means but she did enjoy it. I suppose when you’re like me and haven’t had a “real” burger in a long time, you’ve got lower standards.
I’ve had several of them at several different restaurants. Preparation is critical. Also, toppings. They matter.
FWIW, my burger this weekend (Los Angeles) was $14.
They scare me. Having been a vegetarian for about 35 years (yes, I admit it, I’m an old fart), I don’t understand the appeal. If you like meat, eat meat. I don’t. And anything even resembling meat is not on my list of things to try.
@einrad some people like meat but would also like to not have the environmental impact that meat farming has, may want health benefits of not eating meat, or might want to eat the same food they currently do but without having to kill an animal.
I have tried one and found it surprisingly delicious. I’d order it again.
Burger King has veggie burgers for the same price as a whopper