Filet and Loin Ideas

[larry_stewart]

Yeah, I know sounds strange coming from me, But I came across a company that sells a plant based Filet and Loin. I've never tried it before, so I although I don't have high hopes, I'm kind of excited to play around with them. My question is, what do you guys make with these cuts of real beef?

I'm just looking for recipes you guys would use (in a real beef situation) to give me some Ideas to try. Tomorrow I will cook a few up just to feel them out, get an idea of their taste , consistency and how they cook best. Trust me , I am fully aware that there is no comparison , but this (if good) opens up a whole new direction for me to explore. When I used to eat meat (almost 30 years ago), it was primarily burgers, hot dogs, meat balls .... I never had cuts like this, so I am in unexplored territory. Could be a complete failure, as most plant based knock offs, but every now and then one surprises me.

 

[pictonguy]

What are the ingredients? Why would you be excited that something plant based looks like meat? Just curious.

 

[dcSaute]

the beef filet is considered the 'top quality' cut from the cow - the 'tenderloin'
many names. bazillions of recipes - which all only vary by the sauces used to dress the beef tenderloin. the tenderloin can be cooked whole and sliced, or sliced into steaks and cooked.
pick any of those recipes and see if the plant based "non-beef" measures up to a real beef tenderloin slice/steak.

"beef loin" aka usually = "eye round roast" is very lean, less tender, much trickier to cook to a delicious scrumptiousness.... best done with long slow wet methods. stews, shredded, etc., DW family has an 19th century passed down recipe for "beef hash" that makes a non-fat-lean eye round into a plate licking good stuff....

the differences are innate to the muscle usage by the cow.
seems to me the "plant based claim" of filet vs loin is simply all the same stuff with a different marketing name.

 

[larry_stewart]

What are the ingredients? Why would you be excited that something plant based looks like meat? Just curious.

Most plant based meats are something that you can do with chopped meat ( burgers, meatballs ..). This is different . This may potentially open up a whole new area of recipes that I couldn't do with chopped meat - like products ( or it may suck, like many other products).

I don't eat meat, so I'm just looking for something you guys would do with its real meat counterpart. Im aware there will significant differences in the taste, consistency and the way it is cooked. These are things I will find all that out tomorrow when I experiment with one batch. I'm aware I will have modify things , as I have done for 30 + years with other meat substitutes. Ive actually gotten pretty good with that, and it's not what I'm asking for.

Im interested is what you guys would do, not with the imitation stuff Im using, but with real meat of a similar cut to get ideas.

 

[pictonguy]

Fillet steak in it's purest form is pre salted, rested then sauteed until a nice crust forms and is served mostly rare to medium rare and medium to be a generally accepted limit to doneness with well done a waste of meat, and I agree with that sentiment. It's all about the toothiness, texture, moisture content which works with the crunch of the caramelized surface area and of course the taste. Most people regard the tenderloin as one of the most tender cuts but lacks the beefiness and flavor of say a ribeye or a striploin, which I also agree with.

Not sure how that's suppose to translate with plant material. There's also many sauces that go with beef tenderloin but you would need to probably convert most of them to be vegan but if you google sauces for tenderloin many will come up. I like a pan sauce mostly and of course a little bit of seafood and a bearnaise sauce I would never say no to.

What is the list of ingredients in the product?

 

[Badjak]

If I had the cuts as real meat...
I would
Just fry whole
Use in a quick stir fry
Maybe make beef wellington or a Thai beef salad.

But I have no idea how that would work with the "cuts" you have

 

[taxlady]

For beef tenderloin, I have roasted whole, fried steaks, grilled steaks, and made beef stroganoff. I'm going to guess that you could already figure out to roast whole or cut into steaks. I figure the biggest problem with the plant based product will be trying to get a good fond to use as the main flavour in a sauce. I would suggest a mushroom gravy. That is very traditional with steak and would give lots of umami to a sauce.

When you have tried this stuff, I would be curious to know how easily it can be cut into thin pieces.

 

[larry_stewart]

If I had the cuts as real meat...
I would
Just fry whole
Use in a quick stir fry
Maybe make beef wellington or a Thai beef salad.

But I have no idea how that would work with the "cuts" you have

I have no idea how it would work either . Everything is going to be based a trial and error, but I appreciate the response. Biggest issue with Plant based stuff, even iff they get the taste, texture and visual right, is they way they are cooked. In most cases they don't physically cook the same way as its meat counterpart would. for example, I used to have to cook veggie burgers in a pan or oven first to bind them, then finish them off on the grill ( to get a grilled taste to its). If started directly in the grill they would either burn or fall right through the grids. Something you learn the hard way. I've been dealing with this for years. No big deal, just have to know before you do. I'll be playing around with a few just to feel them out, try a few basic cooking methods on them to get an idea on taste, texture and how they cook best. After I get that down, assuming they taste good, I'll be applying them to recipes, hopefully with success.

 

[larry_stewart]

For beef tenderloin, I have roasted whole, fried steaks, grilled steaks, and made beef stroganoff. I'm going to guess that you could already figure out to roast whole or cut into steaks. I figure the biggest problem with the plant based product will be trying to get a good fond to use as the main flavour in a sauce. I would suggest a mushroom gravy. That is very traditional with steak and would give lots of umami to a sauce.

When you have tried this stuff, I would be curious to know how easily it can be cut into thin pieces.

I thought about the stroganoff too. Can't go wrong with a mushroom gravy. At this pxoint, this is one big science experiment for me. The most important thing is it has to pass the taste and texture test. If it tastes like crap or the texture is unpleasant, into the trash they go. But if they pass, it opens a whole new direction or me to explore, which im looking forward to. These types of products have come along way, so I'm hopeful. I'll definitely check back in and update everyone on my successes or failures.

 

[larry_stewart]

Fillet steak in it's purest form is pre salted, rested then sauteed until a nice crust forms and is served mostly rare to medium rare and medium to be a generally accepted limit to doneness with well done a waste of meat, and I agree with that sentiment. It's all about the toothiness, texture, moisture content which works with the crunch of the caramelized surface area and of course the taste. Most people regard the tenderloin as one of the most tender cuts but lacks the beefiness and flavor of say a ribeye or a striploin, which I also agree with.

Not sure how that's suppose to translate with plant material. There's also many sauces that go with beef tenderloin but you would need to probably convert most of them to be vegan but if you google sauces for tenderloin many will come up. I like a pan sauce mostly and of course a little bit of seafood and a bearnaise sauce I would never say no to.

What is the list of ingredients in the product?

I know it's soy based, I'll have to get ack to you on the other ingredients. My first thing will be to cook them as directed and see how they respond. Once I get a feel for the product, I'll expand what I'll do with them ( unless they are terrible, then I will abandon the mission).

 

[Badjak]

I'm interested to see what you come up with!
Only ones I know are tofu and tempeh. I love tempeh, not keen on tofu. Although tofu would work as chicken replacement.

 

[pictonguy]

I know it's soy based, I'll have to get ack to you on the other ingredients. My first thing will be to cook them as directed and see how they respond. Once I get a feel for the product, I'll expand what I'll do with them ( unless they are terrible, then I will abandon the mission).

Right, yeah I figured that would be the case, most are soy based. I found the ingredients and the product.

Ingredients

Ingredients: WATER, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE (27%), SUNFLOWER OIL, NATURAL FLAVORS, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: VEGETABLE JUICE (COLOR), CARRAGEENAN, METHYLCELLULOSE, VITAMIN B12. CONTAINS: SOY.

Yeah, it appears similar to a lot of other imitation meats. I find methylcellulose to be a fascinating ingredient, it's basically the glue and of course the carrageenan. I hope it turns out to be a better product for you Larry.

 

[larry_stewart]

I've used methyl cellulose in the past when experimenting in the past. I was impressed by its ability to bind and create a decent texture. Many binders dont work well, or alter the consistency to something unpleasant. One of the biggest issues with vegan meat substitutes is they are not juice ( very dry). They have been getting better. Curious how this one will compare. Nothing to lose other than a few bucks, and possibly a day in the bathroom

 

[dragnlaw]

I laugh but truly... I hope not, Larry!

 

[Kathleen]

Larry, I have found some plant-based proteins to be pretty darn yummy, so I am wishing for the best for you with this one.

In addition to what others have written, I would consider grilling the filet and serving with a side of "Steakhouse Mushrooms." There are many recipes online and the one I use has beef stock, but I think you could easily substitute the beef stock for vegetable or a mushroom stock. Serve it with a huge baked potato and side salad. Mmm.

I'd think of using the loin in something like a veal parmesan or a tenderloin sandwich. Perhaps shave it and cook quickly for a Philly steak sandwich (don't forget the Whiz!)

Don't forget beef stew if you have some leftovers.

 

[Jusa]

I like @Badjak's idea of beef Wellington. You could use a mushroom puree in place of the liver pate.

 

[GinnyPNW]

I'm with the Stroganoff or sandwich...but I would cut it horizontally for the sandwich. Serve on a Hoagie roll with lettuce, tomato and mayo. Yum!

 

[larry_stewart]

OK, Here's a review of my first round playing with these things. Day one, I cooked as was instructed by label. After seasoning with S & P, I pan fried all sides in a little oil, making sure to develop crispy exterior. The taste was good. The texture was not as tender as I would have expected. It was more fibrous, as I remember corned beef to be, as opposed to being smoother ( for lack of better words). When cooking like this, the interior heated, but didn't get cooked much. The contrast of the crispy outside , to the inside was nice.
I thumbed through the recipes on their side, just to see how their product was used / cooked in other ways. The second piece, following th technique as mentioned in another recipe, I fried to get that exterior crisp, then finished it off in the oven. Obviously cooked more through and through. Texture basically the same,
My next experiment would see if it holds up being in a stew. many imitation meat products are kinda grain, dont hold together well in a liquid, thereby falling apart when cooked in a liquid, or over handled. I fried the piece on all sides, then broke it up into Bite sized pieces , and continued to fry the pieces until they all had that slight outer crisp. At this point, I prepared the stew - base ( carrots, onions, mushrooms ( a lot off mushrooms), tomato paste, stock, wine ,Thyme, bayleaf, S&P and probably other things I'm forgetting). I tossed the already cooked pieces of the ' meat ' in towards the end. I didn't over work them, but did stir them in so they got evenly covered with the sauce, and continued to heat until done. Result is they did not break up , as most of the products do ( and as I would have expected). They maintained a nice meaty texture and complimented the dish in a nice way.
Over all, now having experienced their taste, texture and way of preparing, I feel I can definitely start using them in other recipes taking all of that into consideration. Ill continue to post as I use them more.

 

[Jusa]

OK, Here's a review of my first round playing with these things. Day one, I cooked as was instructed by label. After seasoning with S & P, I pan fried all sides in a little oil, making sure to develop crispy exterior. The taste was good. The texture was not as tender as I would have expected. It was more fibrous, as I remember corned beef to be, as opposed to being smoother ( for lack of better words). When cooking like this, the interior heated, but didn't get cooked much. The contrast of the crispy outside , to the inside was nice.
I thumbed through the recipes on their side, just to see how their product was used / cooked in other ways. The second piece, following th technique as mentioned in another recipe, I fried to get that exterior crisp, then finished it off in the oven. Obviously cooked more through and through. Texture basically the same,
My next experiment would see if it holds up being in a stew. many imitation meat products are kinda grain, dont hold together well in a liquid, thereby falling apart when cooked in a liquid, or over handled. I fried the piece on all sides, then broke it up into Bite sized pieces , and continued to fry the pieces until they all had that slight outer crisp. At this point, I prepared the stew - base ( carrots, onions, mushrooms ( a lot off mushrooms), tomato paste, stock, wine ,Thyme, bayleaf, S&P and probably other things I'm forgetting). I tossed the already cooked pieces of the ' meat ' in towards the end. I didn't over work them, but did stir them in so they got evenly covered with the sauce, and continued to heat until done. Result is they did not break up , as most of the products do ( and as I would have expected). They maintained a nice meaty texture and complimented the dish in a nice way.
Over all, now having experienced their taste, texture and way of preparing, I feel I can definitely start using them in other recipes taking all of that into consideration. Ill continue to post as I use them more.

Looks good!

 

[giggler]

I wonder if you could bread it and fry it and serve with gravy like chicken fried steak, or steak fingers?

Eric, Austin Tx.