Why Impossible Burgers aren't that good

You know all those meat alternatives out there? Here’s how they’re made - and why they don’t actually taste that much like real meat.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘁𝘆-𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝘆:

𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 (𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲) 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀:

𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:
-Eat JUST
-Finless Foods
-The Better Meat Co.

MinuteFood is created by Kate Yoshida, Arcadi Garcia & Bill Mead, and produced by Neptune Studios LLC.

[AquaLugia]

0:23 didn't expect to see Miu there!

[ZetaPyro]

My cousin started a small business making sausages filled with part meat and part vegetables to try to reduce (but not to zero) one's meat consumption. They're pretty good! She sells them at Whole Foods, among other places.

[heychrisfox]

I don't know why more stores don't sell seitan. It's AMAZING. Way better than tofu, way easier to cook properly, and as long as you give it some flavor during the cooking process, it's extremely similar to meat, especially if you're doing BBQ. But I never see it sold anywhere. It's really hard to find, compared to tofu, which you can find pretty much anywhere. Wheat is king.

[colleenmarin]

My go-to Instant pot meal is: 16-oz rice, 32-oz broth, 1 can of great northern beans, 1 package tofu (diced), 1 can of chicken, 1 bag of Wegmans frozen cauliflower puree, 1 bag/package of fresh baby spinach, season to taste. Add other veggies based on taste and/or availability. This way everyone in the household enjoys a meal that has a variety of protein sources, and can agree upon eating (bonus for fewer pans to wash)

[arghc]

If you're making a meat dish with a sauce (stir fries, pasta, etc) then this carnivore can easily substitute at least 50% off the shelf tofu (firm-extra firm for stir fries, medium-firm for ground meat) combined with actual meat for a reduced meat meal.

[nanashi]

why make foods that "tastes like meat", if you can make food that just plain tastes good.

[paulawigell]

Impossible Burgers are delicious, but inedible when cooked as directed (i.e., when cooked thick). When cooked as directed they are worse than rubber. When cooked thin (flattened to 5/16" or 3/8" thick), they are superb. When I purchase them pre-formed and frozen, I thaw them, flatten them, and cook over medium heat until well browned on one side. Flip and cook until browned/ carmelized on that side. Leftovers can be rewarmed in the microwave on full power for 30 seconds or so.

[crosseyedcat]

I think a lot of people view meat alternatives wrong. They're called meat alternatives, not meat substitutes. They don't have to taste like meat and that's not entirely the point. It's about whether or not you'd prefer it over meat or not. And for me, I prefer beyond burgers over cruddy beef patties. I think this is easier to think about if you come from a culture that incorporates plant based proteins into foods. I'm Chinese and tofu isn't a "meat substitute". It's tofu and is just another ingredient.

[Somebodyherefornow]

super processed does not mean anything, really healthy and really unhealthy foods are both ultraprocessed

[westybestie]

I like Morning Star Chik'n more than "real" chicken nuggets. It just has great flavor and nice texture. Unfortunately, my family who has tried it said it tastes like rubber.

[buckstop]

I'm a fan of cutting some of my pork stews and chilis with jackfruit. Budget's tight, meat is expensive, and canned jack fruit is cheap. I do the same with ground beef and some tofu, they work as a nice "filler", something to pump up the amount of food without making it more expensive.

[randomdogdog]

Down under, there's 2 different types of "meat and veg" products down under, as we call them. Some are an honest attempt to put vegetables into a processed meat product, but the bulk are half chicken or beef, the bulk of the rest pea protean, with a carrot to justify a pretty cover shot. Most supermarkets carry one or two, though there seems to be a recent downturn here with the general downturn in plant based products.

[roys.]

"Look what they have to do for a fraction of our power." - me quoting Invincible after watching this video and all the twists and turns you have to go through to make a good meat substitute

[nicoletaisac]

Lol they are finally experimenting with half meat half plants options.
This is funny to me because my mom has always made patties that were like 70% veggies and 30% meat. And honestly, IT SLAPS! From all of my mom's friends whose patties i've tried they were all 100% meat and I still think my mom's are better 😂

So don't be afraid to mix in veggies, it's absolutely delicious! 😼

[izzielombardo]

Insaturated fats image was some serious cursed chemistry

[xeijix]

Most cheap heavily processed meat products already are blended meats, cause they use TVP as filler

[chan.sorman]

My Grandmother, having lived through the Great Leap Forwards/Great Chinese Famine, maintains that Cat doesn't taste very nice.

[kevinbihari]

The 3 carbon atoms you showed in the plant fat all had double bonds. That means they are sp2 bonded. That has a 180 degree geometry.
1. Quite rare. 2. Straight. Not bended

[The_Oblivion_Light]

Actually, if you health challenged, particularly, diabetic, high cholesterol and even high blood pressure, the actual Impossible Burger (In the red bag, formally white and green) is good and the best plant base burger. I tried different brands. The Impossible Burger may not stand out to you if you cook it the way it is. It is practically flavorless. That's where it shines. Unlike the other brands with flavor added, they can have unwanted flavors that will make you frown. The Impossible Burger allows you to explore different seasonings to fit your taste. I personally use Accent Salt and regular peppers mashed in before cooking. The other pro is that it cooks in less than 7 minutes on a George Foreman type grill. So don't allow yourself to be deterred because others say they don't like plant base burgers. Years ago, I use to thing veggie burgers were gross ooga booga food. As a diabetic, I've been consuming Impossible burgers for over 3 years now and eat one maybe 2 or 3 times a week to help balance out my cholesterol intake. It is a life saver.

[saiskanda]

Lab grown meat extracted from real animal cells as a starter, to me seems the best long term option.