# Has anyone tried fake ground meat?



## htc (Jun 21, 2005)

Hi, has anyone tried any of the fake ground meat you can get at the grocery store? How does it compare to the flavor of a boca or garden burger? I've taken a boca burger and crumbled it to use inside of a pot sticker and it tasted great. 

For some reason, I'm hesitant to buy the stuff that says it's fake ground meat, but I'm ok with the frozen stuff and just crumbling it.  How does it compare per pound to boca?

Thanks!


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## SierraCook (Jun 22, 2005)

I have never had the fake ground meat, but I tried the fake salami that came in a pre-made lunch on a fire assignment.  It was OK, but nothing to write home about.  It was pretty bland.


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## Michael in FtW (Jun 22, 2005)

My step-mom got some of that "Garden Burger" stuff once and called me up complaining about it for 3 days! It wasn't as bad as she made it out to be, maybe it was but I was more openminded about it - but it was something I would never want to eat again.

I guess the only use I have for "fake meat" is if I'm just going to "pretend" I'm cooking and "imagining" I'm eating a good meal.


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## luvs (Jun 22, 2005)

i know when i was in high school my cooking class teacher swore by the soy 'crumbles'.
i used to eat boca burgers and gardenburgers all the time and LOVED black bean burgers, but that's the extent of my experience w/ fake meat.
betcha those crumbles aren't half bad, though.


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## htc (Jun 22, 2005)

Thanks for the info. Me being the extremely frugal cook, I have been weighing my options to see if boca burgers are cheaper than the crumble. I guess I'll have to try it and report back.


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## Ishbel (Jun 22, 2005)

I'm not sure if you are talking about what we (in the UK) call TVP (textured vegetable protein) products? The most well-known is marketed here under the trade name of Quorn. Not sure, but I believe it is a some kind of fungi, like mushrooms. Don't really want to go there to find out!

I don't cook with the product myself, but have a vegetarian friend who does. I've eaten various pasta + 'meat' dishes at her home, when she has used the Quorn minced 'beef' as the 'meat' base for a bolognese sauce for spaghetti or lasagne. I've also had various casserole type dishes, which she makes taste 'meaty' by the addition of products like Marmite.

Personally, I can't see why if you don't want to eat meat, you would even bother to make the TVP taste like meat! BUT, my friend says she's a vegetarian on health grounds, but loves 'meaty' tasting foods!

I did a search and found that Quorn have their own website and that their products appear to be available in the USA - but I didn't take my search any further than finding the site!
http://www.quorn.com/


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## surfrkim (Jun 22, 2005)

From memory its called "nutmeat" here in Oz.  Had a vegetarian friend cook it for me YEARS ago - said I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.  I could - it was AWFUL!!


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## Ishbel (Jun 22, 2005)

I remember eating some of that sort of stuff when TVPs first became popular here in the UK, many years ago (I use the word 'popular' - but I only know 3 friends who use the TVP meat substitutes!) and you're right - they tasted really 'odd.

However, the stuff my friend uses isn't too bad, but then she uses it to replace meat and puts loads of 'meaty' type flavourings in the sauces...    She does a reasonable curry with one of the TVP products, too!  I have to say that the 'minced beef' substitute probably works best, though  

And, as I said, I cannot see the point of a vegetarian like her eating the stuff, but choosing to make it taste more like meat!

If you want to eat it to save dosh, then that's totally different.


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## htc (Jun 22, 2005)

I was actually talking about products here in the US that say that they are meat crumbles or ground "meat". I have tried tvp once and hated it, but think it was because my friend cut it into big huge chunks and it had absolutely no taste. I wouldn't mind trying to use it again, but would have to find a better way to prepare it.


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## Andy M. (Jun 22, 2005)

If you're talking about FAKE ground meat, I'd guess that's TVP.

If you're talking about pre-cooked ground meat, that's a different story.  That wouldn't be fake.  Would you please clarify.


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## htc (Jun 22, 2005)

I don't know what it's called or the brand. Just sometimes when I am at the grocery store, I will see packages that say it's soy scramble or something like that. And it looks like fake ground meat. I hope that helps.


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## buckytom (Jun 22, 2005)

dw and i have used fake ground meat in a few dishes like stuffed peppers and cabbage, but we went back to using ground turkey. it just tasted funky. htc, i like your idea of crumbling boca burgers. i may give it a go.


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## Andy M. (Jun 22, 2005)

Soy scramble/crumble as compared to a crumbled garden or boca burger differ due to the seasonings in the burgers.  So if you're willing to pay the higher price to get the seasoning combination you want, it makes sense.


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## jennyema (Jun 22, 2005)

I know exactly what you are talking about.  I had a friend staying with me for a while who was veggie so I used to cook stuff with it for her.  Chili, stuffed peppers, etc.  I personally didnt like it much but she seemed to.  But she'd eat potatoes for every meal if she could.

IMO it goes better with sauce or some other tasty way to cover it up.

Not as tasty as a boca burger or fake sausage, etc.


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## Zereh (Jun 23, 2005)

I know what you're talking about and I've not tried it yet. I've seen "crumbles" by Boca, Morning Star and someone else whom I can't remember the name of right now. I'll grab some on my next trip to the store and try them, I've been meaning to anyway.

I love Boca burgers... well, I love them on top of a bowl of rice or on a toasted bagel for something quick and painless to have for dinner. I'm not a fan of most other brands though I have had a couple of "mushroom" burgers that were good as well.

I do use TVP once in awhile, but only in certain dishes. To me it is best when used in something like soup or chili or some kind of dish with a very flavorful sauce. Which makes sense, since TVP has no real flavor of it's own. Whatever flavor it has comes from the way you cook it. I have also found that it's best to reconstitute it in broth rather than water. (And I use the term "broth" loosely here, since I only use veggie-based broths.)

Anywho, I'll let you know what I think of the "crumbles" as soon as I think of something to use them in after I buy them ... 


Z


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