Tag: protein

Risk It For The Brisket

Brisket, historically a cheap cut of tough, barely edible meat, has come to be revered by aficionados across the globe. Some call it the “holy grail” of Jewish food, especially when the holiday season rolls around, and even more so when you factor in the difficulty of veganizing such a time-honored culinary tradition. Given the scrutiny placed on such an important centerpiece, it’s one I’ve never even felt capable of attempting.

Until now.

Brisket: A Celebratory Centerpiece

Growing up, Hanukkah dinner meant extra-crispy latkes, two or three types of homemade applesauce, and a heaping serving of brisket, cut into slick slabs that fell apart on the plate, dripping with juice. It was a point of honor when my Nana, the matriarch of meat, passed the torch to my own mother by sharing her secret recipe. The secret being powdered onion soup mix and lots of time. Three hours in the oven, an overnight rest, and then however long it takes to slowly, gently reheat the roast for the festive meal. There’s just not much to it besides meat and onions; every ingredient counts.

On that note at least, the same can be said for my plant-based rendition, a distinct departure from the beef-soaked ghost of holidays past. Where most vegan brisket recipes fail is by using just a big hunk of seitan, meaty but monotonous, without the distinct shredded texture of dissolved sinew cut against the grain, cooked into velvety submission. After the great success of my drumsticks, I knew I had the answer: finely shredded Sugimoto shiitake caps, blending into a matrix of seitan and meaty seasonings, the way to go.

Tasteful Textures

Moreover, this grand roast employs jackfruit and fresh enoki mushrooms to enhance that illusion, adding ample umami and a satisfying bite all the while. It’s a production compared to your average meatloaf, but it still takes less time than the original article. Since there’s no pesky cartilage to break down, you can slash the cooking time in half. Of course, there’s the added benefit of having no pesky cartilage in the first place.

Souped Up Supper

Onion soup mix is still an essential ingredient, but not in the same way as before. Skip the packaged blends with loads of fillers and milk solids; Sugimoto shiitake powder creates an incredibly rich, rounded depth of flavor alongside dried onion flakes, which you can buy ready-made or dehydrate yourself. This could be a stand-alone pantry staple for making instant chip dips, rice pilaf, more flavorful burgers, elevated vegetables, and, to state the obvious, soup.

A Brief Brisket Primer

Brisket means many things to many people, but at its core, simply refers to a prime cut of beef. Jewish brisket is made of the same stuff as Texan brisket; the difference is in the cooking. Texan brisket is the crowning achievement of any pit master, the litmus test determining their ability. Deeply smoked from a low and slow process that can take anywhere from 18 to 24 hours, each bite is intense and heady. Sometimes it comes crusted in a highly spiced rub, or slathered in BBQ sauce, lacquered with that sweet, tangy, spicy finish. Jewish brisket, on the other hand, sometimes called pot roast (especially if made in a slow cooker) is baked, braised, stewed, or slow-cooked for 3 to 6 hours in a flavorful liquid with plenty of onions. Always, always, lot of onions.

If you wanted to take this Jewish-style brisket and make into a barbecue feast, simply increase the liquid smoke to 2 teaspoons and brush it liberally with your favorite BBQ sauce 15 minutes before it’s done baking, and then once more right out of the oven. Or, if you happen to have an actual smoker, do your magic with the roast as is.

Brisket Tips and Tricks

This is not a quick-fix meal; never has been, never will be. Part of what makes it so special is how much time and care it takes to come to fruition. The most important piece of advice I can give you for making a meatless brisket is to have patience, plan ahead, and relish the leftovers. Prep and bake the brisket the day before, so all you need to do is reheat it for the big event. It only gets better as it sits, becoming more tender and intensely flavorful. Leftovers keep beautifully in the fridge for at least a week, and can be frozen for around 6 months. That is, if you’re lucky enough to save a few pieces. It may look like a beast of a roast, but trust me, it disappears fast.

Brisket isn’t just for Hanukkah. It’s a prime guest of honor at any important gathering, from Passover to Thanksgiving, birthdays to summer barbecues. Finally, with a genuinely meatless option that might even make my great-grandparents proud, there’s even more to celebrate.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)14 Comments

Breaking The Mold

Would you like some moldy bean cake? It’s been fermenting in my pantry for two days! Wait, where are you going?!

Chickpea Tempeh

Tempeh, the ancient Indonesian invention that sustained countless generations, seems to fly in the face of modern food safety. Most foods enshrouded in a layer of white fuzz should go straight to the trash, but a block of tempeh sporting a similar fur coat, on the other hand, is destined for the dinner table. Though it’s been a plant-based staple long before we ever had meatless beef, this prime protein failed to take off on the mainstream market with the same enthusiasm. Whether it’s the cause or result, there remains a significant gap in widespread awareness and acceptance.

Air Fried Edamame Tempeh

Cast In The Same Mold

Mold is a type of fungi, just like mushrooms. Microscopic, multicellular, and often misunderstood, mold can be a very good thing indeed. Rhizopus oligosporus (R. oligosporus) is the beneficial fungi responsible for transforming a pile of beans into fully fermented tempeh, encasing the proteins in fluffy white mycelium. Tempeh that’s been wrapped tightly, either in banana leaves or punctured plastic bags, will have a smoother, more compressed layer of mycelium, whereas one given more open space will look genuinely furry and soft. Both are

Inoculated Chickpeas

DIY, Don’t Buy

Homemade tempeh is leaps and bounds better than anything store bought, not that there’s an abundance of choice in most grocery stores. Soybeans are the most common base, traditionally and commercially, but starting from scratch means you can use any bean you like, and beyond. I’ve had wonderful success with chickpeas and edamame especially, and I’m just getting started. All you need are tempeh cultures, dry beans, and vinegar. Cook the beans, toss with vinegar, let stand until the surface is dry to the touch, toss with cultures, and pack into plastic bags. Puncture the bags with a toothpick so the tempeh can breathe, and let it rest in a warm place (70 – 90 degrees) for up to 48 hours. That’s all it takes!

Chickpea Tempeh Noodle Bowl

Seeking Mycelium, Not Mycotoxins

Fresh, properly fermented tempeh should smell nutty, mushroom-y, earthy, and just subtly funky. It should NOT smell like ammonia, alcohol, or rotting garbage. It’s perfectly fine if there are some dark spots, but not if they’re slimy, sticky, or crumbling apart. There IS the danger that bad bacteria might find this inviting guest room you’ve carefully curated and decide to move in. Always use common sense; when in doubt, throw it out. Since tempeh is quick and cheap to make, you’re better off starting again.

Edamame Tempeh

New Tempehtations

For anyone even remotely interested in learning more about tempeh, I implore you to delve into The Book of Tempeh by William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi. First published in 1979, it’s still the most complete, definitive text on the history, science, nutrition, and recipes for both creating and using tempeh. There’s so much more to it than I could ever hope to cover in a blog post, nor would I try. I’m simply hooked on the satisfaction of growing my very own mold, intentionally, to make a staple food I thought was impossible to make at home. The war against mold is over, if you want it.

Hannah (BitterSweet)11 Comments

Drum Roll, Please

Evolved and intelligent as we may be, there’s something about the primal urge to gnaw into beastly drumsticks that’s irrepressible. At renaissance fairs and Disney parks alike, the oversized turkey legs parading through the crowds are as much an attraction as any games or rides. Is it really our primitive instincts to hunt and gather that draw us in, or the modern spectacle of it now? Certainly, it’s not the seasoning. Bland, dry to the bone, sinewy as a ball of string, these are not the drumsticks of the discerning eater.

THESE are. Entirely meatless, each hefty shank is a plant protein dynamo. Upcycled pineapple cores serve as the “bones,” creating the signature drumstick appearance while infusing their tropical, sweet flavor into every bite. Delicate sheets of yuba encase a blend of shredded Sugimoto Shiitake and jackfruit, bound together with seitan to create a texture you can really sink your teeth into. The tofu skin exterior even becomes crispy while cooking! Then, lacquered with a sticky, tangy, and savory pineapple teriyaki sauce, it takes on a glossy golden finish that would satisfy even the most primordial desires.

Meet Your New Meat

Developing the ideal vegan drumstick took more than the typical amount of trial and error. Instead of just one standard meat substitute, it took the combination of a few crafty swaps working in concert to create the full range of textures and umami flavors.

  • Koshin shiitake caps, broad, flat, and thin, are finely sliced to amplify the natural muscular appearance of shredded young jackfruit. Jackfruit alone can be rather flavorless, if not woody, which is why the meatiness of shiitake is so essential here.
  • It takes vital wheat gluten to act as the “glue” holding it all together. It creates the characteristic chew of meat, while adding moisture and cohesion to the filling.
  • Yuba, pure soy protein, wraps the package up with a bow. While I’ve seen similar concepts using rice paper for the outer skin, yuba is far tastier, easier to work with, and more nutritious.

Tips For Success

Let’s be real: This is no 30-minute meal. It takes time and planning, best saved for a special occasion when you want to go all out. That said, it’s not a difficult recipe, just a bit time-consuming. Prep in stages and think of it as an edible craft project to fully enjoy the process.

    1. Make the teriyaki sauce first… Or don’t. You want it to be cooled and fully thickened before slathering it on your meatless drumsticks, and it keeps in the fridge for 1 – 2 weeks, easily. On the other hand, there’s no shame in taking shortcuts here; you could absolutely buy ready-made teriyaki sauce and skip all that work.
    2. Wrap that yuba up tight! Nobody wants to end up with loose skin.
    3. Reinforce your pineapple cores with skewers, optionally. Unlike animal bones, they become softer after cooking, so you can’t really pick these drumsticks up by the handle and take a chomp out of them. Personally, I feel they’re best suited to the fork-and-knife treatment anyway, so you don’t end up with sauce smeared all over your face. If you’re determined to make these as finger food though, thread a wooden skewer through the core first, to keep it more stable.

  1. Be gentle with your yuba. It’s a fragile, paper-thin sheet of solidified soymilk; of course it’s prone to ripping. Fresh is really best here, since dried tends to be thicker, and more likely to have broken in transit. Soak your fresh yuba in warm water for a few minutes before gently easing the sheets apart. They’re much harder to work with straight out the fridge.
  2. Give them space while steaming and baking. The meatless stuffing inside does expand and plump a bit as it cooks.

March To The Beat Of Your Own Drumstick

Pineapple teriyaki simply made sense as a complete package here, but the options for flavor variations are endless. First of all, don’t feel that you’re bound to using a pineapple core for the bone. Not everyone regularly buys whole pineapples, and maybe that’s just not the vibe for dinner that day. You can omit it entirely to make more of a chicken breast facsimile, or replace it with pieces of sugarcane or simply wooden popsicle sticks.

From there, consider your sauce. You could go in a spicier direction with buffalo sauce, or keep it classic with plant-based butter and herbs. Then we have BBQ sauce for a smokier kick, pomegranate molasses and za’atar for Middle Eastern flare, and so on, and so forth. You’ll run out of drumsticks long before you run out of ideas.

Go ahead, embrace your inner cave-person. Soothe your lizard brain with the meat it’s really craving; healthier, tastier, and happier for all creatures involved. These vegan drumsticks are better than all the rest.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)4 Comments

Chillingly Good Chili

Is there a more American dish than chili? While most people think of hotdogs and burgers as quintessentially patriotic foods, both have clearly established roots in other cultures. Records of the first pot of chili, on the other hand, can be traced back to what is now known as Texas in the early 1700s.

Like most classic comfort foods, there’s good reason why it’s survived and thrived through centuries of changing tastes: Affordable, versatile, and obviously, delicious, it hits all the high notes every time. For that same reason, I have a number of different chili recipes already. Like chocolate chip cookies, though, there’s always room for one more.

A Meatless Mix For Meat-Lovers

Chili con carne has long been the gold standard for chili aficionados. No beans, no fancy flourishes, just meat, meat, and more meat- Oh, and some chilies for good measure. Classic Americana. It’s interesting to see how my own approach has slowly skewed back to this more traditional approach.

Rather than a glorified vegetable stew, I’ve come to appreciate chili for being this simple, basic foundation to embellish after the fact, and only if warranted. It helps that there are better meat alternatives than ever, although that’s far from necessary to make an award-winning vegan chili recipe. In my opinion, the combination of old school TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) and new school umami can run circles around pricey prepared beefy grounds.

Shiitake Stems Bring The Flavor

One of my favorite “life hacks” when using Sugimoto Shiitake is to save the stems for future use. Unlike most dried shiitake on the market, Sugimoto Shiitake are such high quality that even the stems are fully edible. Remove the very bottom part if hard, and the rest is packed with even more umami power than the caps. Finely minced, they transform into a compelling ground meat facsimile all on their own.

Hearty And Healthy

Thanks to the power of umami, it doesn’t scream “MUSHROOM CHILI,” despite being largely mushroom-based. In fact, it’s stunningly meaty, with a hearty texture that really could trick an omnivore. It makes me want to enter a chili contest just to see the stunned reactions when the recipe is unveiled.

Incredibly rich while also low in fat, balanced by the bright acidity of tomatoes, this is now my go-to for cold days, or tiring days, or days when the pantry is pretty bare. I could go on to list all the reasons why it’s the best vegan chili recipe around, but then I may never finish this post.

Spice Things Up

Chili is one of the most adaptable dishes around. You can make a basic batch that’s fairly mild, adding hot sauce to single servings as desired, or bring the heat in layers while cooking. Consider adding any of the following for more fire power:

  • Fresh or pickled jalapeños for a bright, fresh spice
  • Guajillo or chipotles in adobo for a more smoky flavor
  • Serrano, habanero, or pequin for a sharp, bold finish

That’s just the bare basics. Any chilies or peppers, whether fresh, dried, ground, canned, or otherwise preserved are welcome at this party! You could even just double down on the chili powder and call it a day. It’s only a matter of personal preference.

Chill Out With Chili

Chili is a quintessential staple for any cook to master. Thankfully, that’s not a difficult task. In minutes, anyone can meld aromatic spices into a complex bouquet that lingers on your palate, as warm as a happy memory. A great chili is an ideal one-pot meal, no garnishes needed, but versatile enough to be enjoyed with cornbread, rice, tortilla chips, or so much more. Is there a bad pairing for chili? Personally, I have yet to find out.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)6 Comments