3 Fake-Meat Dishes So Good You Won't Be Able to Tell the Difference

For many Americans, meat has long shined as the star of the meal, but plant-based diets are starting to take the country by storm.

Research has helped drive some of the change. Certain studies indicate that red-meat consumption can lead to an early death, and livestock production has been linked to climate change.

Some carnivores who want to cut back on meat don't know where to begin. So, Newsweek recently spoke with vegetarian influencer Mark Thompson to learn his top three fake-meat dishes that are so good it's nearly impossible to tell the difference.

Thompson is also known as "Sauce Stash" and has a YouTube channel boasting some 517K subscribers. He's authored the cookbook Making Vegan Meat (2021) and enjoys a robust Instagram following.

He may be a faux-meat scientist of sorts now, but Thompson told Newsweek he used to eat the real-deal growing up in Ohio. Sloppy Joes were his favorite, he said, chuckling.

But later, when he got interested in ditching meat, he realized that there weren't many stellar substitutes.

The fake-meat market has been booming in recent years with the introduction of imitation beef brands. Thompson recalled being floored by Beyond and Impossible Burger's take on beef patties and wanting to learn more.

"So I kind of started deep-diving and figuring out what they were doing...figuring out where they started," he said. "How did they start breaking these things down to get that flavor? And that just kind of lit it up for me."

Thompson added: "That was the part where I was just like, 'Wait a minute: I love doing this. I could do this every day.'"

Let's dig into some of Thompson's top-three fake-meat recipes.

What Are Some Fake-Meat Recipes So Good You Won't Be Able to Tell the Difference?

Thompson likens this first recipe to a sort of "clone of the super popular plant-based burgers." He said one plus about knowing how to make it yourself, though, is that you can adjust the flavors to your personal taste.

Thompson added that he's heard from life-long carnivores who've reported back that they positively loved this meatless burger.

"I think of [it as] the basis for learning how to make fake meats," he said.

Textured Protein Burger

INGREDIENTS:
1 CUP TVP
4 TABLESPOONS POTATO PROTEIN
1 TABLESPOON METHYLCELLULOSE, HIGH-VISCOSITY
1⁄2 TEASPOON MUSHROOM EXTRACT POWDER (OR ANY MUSHROOM POWDER)
1⁄2 TEASPOON ONION POWDER
1⁄2 TEASPOON GARLIC POWDER
1 TEASPOON BEETROOT POWDER
3 TABLESPOONS NUTRITIONAL YEAST
1 CUP WATER
1⁄2 TEASPOON LIQUID SMOKE
1⁄2 TEASPOON BLACKSTRAP MOLASSES
1 TEASPOON SOY SAUCE
1⁄2 TEASPOON WHITE VINEGAR
1 FROZEN FAT SIMULATOR*

Make Frozen Fat Simulator
3⁄4 CUP WATER
1 TEASPOON METHYLCELLULOSE
1⁄2 TEASPOON XANTHAN GUM
1 1⁄2 CUPS REFINED COCONUT OIL

• Add water to blender and start on slow speed with lid removed.
• Add methylcellulose and xanthan gum to blender and allow to gel.
• Keep blender spinning on slow speed and very slowly drip in coconut oil.
• Once you see coconut oil combining with the water/gel mixture, start to slowly transition from drip to a very slow stream in the coconut oil, and stream until all coconut oil has been added.
• This should now be an almost mayo-like consistency.
• Separate into 4 small freezer-safe containers and freeze until solid.
• Each fat puck is the equivalent fat for 1 pound of ground meat.

When someone tells Thompson that they just bought his cookbook, he'll insist that they try this second recipe out. Hot wings were huge when he was growing up, and the vegan versions he'd tried were good but still lacked that "super juicy chicken texture," he said.

Now, his jackfruit chicken recipe is his go-to favorite.

"When you add all of those things that I learned from the Beyond Burger to jackfruit and then flavor it properly, it really comes out," he told Newsweek. "You can close your eyes and take a bite of it, and it has that juicy, pull-apart—like you're eating a barbecue chicken drumstick. It's really incredible."

Incredibly Real Jackfruit Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

2 20-OZ. CANS YOUNG GREEN JACKFRUIT
11⁄2 CUPS WATER
1 VEGAN CHICKEN BOUILLON OR
1 TABLESPOON CHICKEN-FLAVORED BROTH POWDER
2 TABLESPOONS NUTRITIONAL YEAST
2 TABLESPOONS PROTEIN POWDER (PEA PROTEIN OR FAVA BEAN PROTEIN)
1 TABLESPOON METHYLCELLULOSE

(ANY OF YOUR FAVORITE BATTERS WILL WORK WITH THIS RECIPE. DRY BATTER OR WET BATTER)

DRY BATTER
1 CUP FLOUR
1⁄2 TEASPOON PAPRIKA
1⁄2 TEASPOON CHILI POWDER
1⁄2 TEASPOON GARLIC POWDER
1⁄2 TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER

WET BATTER
4 TABLESPOONS EGG REPLACER
1 CUP PLANT-BASED MILK

WANNA MAKE THIS HOT? USE 1–4 TABLESPOONS OF YOUR FAVORITE HOT SAUCE

VEGETABLE OIL FOR FRYING

• Drain and wash the jackfruit.
• Separate seeds and break jackfruit apart from their stem corners. You can squeeze the edge and the seeds will pop out of their shells. Discard the seeds.
• Bring the water to a boil along with bouillon and nutritional yeast. Once water is at a rolling boil, add jackfruit, lower heat to a simmer, and stir. Boil until less than half of the liquid remains.
• Remove from heat.
• Add protein powder and mix.
• Allow mixture to cool below 120°F.
• Add methylcellulose, mix together.
• Lay out a shoebox-sized piece of plastic wrap and drop a quarter of
the jackfruit mixture onto it.
• You can make 4 large patties with this, or around a dozen smaller, nugget-sized pieces.
• Wrap tightly and form into chicken breast shape.
• Place in freezer and allow to freeze. You can freeze until ready to use.
• Fill a large iron skillet or Dutch oven with frying oil, at least 3 inches of oil. Vegetable oil or peanut oil works well. Heat to 350–360°F.
• Using two separate bowls, mix dry batter ingredients together in one bowl and wet batter ingredients together in another large bowl.
• Dip frozen patties into dry mix, then into wet mix, then back into dry mix.
• Place covered patties on a rack for 10–15 minutes.
• Then fry patties two at a time, keeping the oil temp between 350 and 360°F.
• When patties are a deep golden brown, remove them to a wire rack.
• Lightly salt.

"Fake" steak has always been more difficult to nail, but Thompson's third recipe proves that certain mushrooms can actually taste steaky. For this dish, lion's mane mushrooms are key.

Thompson told Newsweek that you can find dehydrated lion's mane mushrooms in "just about any Asian market." Add the right flavoring, and it's sure to blow your mind.

"You can grill it up, and it's just like a little tiny filet mignon," he said.

Lion's Mane Steak

INGREDIENTS:
4 DEHYDRATED LION'S MANE MUSHROOMS (if you're not using dried you can simply marinate fresh mushrooms. It will just have a different effect. Dried is the steadiest, fresh is still very good)
3 CUPS WATER
1⁄2 CUP SOY SAUCE
1 CUP RED WINE
1 TEASPOON MARMITE
1 TABLESPOON MUSHROOM EXTRACT SEASONING
1 TABLESPOON VEGAN BEEF STOCK SEASONING or double the marmite and add a tablespoon more water.
2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL
1 TABLESPOON VEGAN BUTTER
1 SPRIG ROSEMARY
SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

• In a saucepan, mix together water, soy sauce, wine, Marmite, mushroom extract, and vegan beef stock, and bring to a simmer. Once at a simmer, add mushrooms and cover. Cook for 30 minutes to rehydrate.
• Check water level, flipping halfway through, and add water if needed.
• Remove mushrooms from broth and press between two cutting boards to remove excess liquid. Press into small steak medallion shapes. You can use a tofu press or iron skillet for this as well. Press until mushroom holds its shape.
• Heat a large skillet over a medium high heat with olive oil and 1 or 2 sprigs rosemary. Salt and pepper both sides of your mushroom steak. Place in the skillet, then drop a small scoop of vegan butter on the mushroom. Once the butter has completely melted, flip over and press flat with your spatula. Spoon any remaining oil or butter over the mushroom steak and serve.