Best Meat Substitutes For New Vegetarians Who Miss the Flavor

If you are new to a vegetarian lifestyle, you might find yourself missing meat. Keeping those cravings at bay are key to sticking to your new meatless habits. So how can you satisfy your longings? Here are some of the best meat substitutes.

When I became a vegetarian over 25 years ago, it was difficult to find meat analogs, or fake meats. You couldn't buy veggie hot dogs or meatless burgers anywhere, much less at any grocery store. I had to come up with my own recipes to get the flavor of the meat I was missing.

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One of the first recipes I developed was a meatless Portuguese bean soup recipe. I realized much of the flavor was from the spices in the Portuguese sausage. So I incorporated those into the soup, and voila, a lovely vegetarian rendition.

If you have a favorite recipe with lots of spices, see if you can't use just the spices and leave the meat out. Chances are good that the flavor you are looking for comes more from the spices than the meat itself.

But this won't work if the base flavor is meat. So how to substitute for that?

Fake Burgers

Today you can find a wide selection of meatless burgers in the frozen section of any grocery store. If not, take a trip to your local health food or natural products store. You'll be overwhelmed with the selection there.

Meatless burgers usually are flavored either with various oils and extracts (from soy, mushroom, and yeasts), or with vegetables and grains. They tend to be mostly vegetable flavored, or made to taste similar to meat. Try the "meaty" ones.

If you grill the burgers or fry them in a pan with a little oil, to get a crispy outside, you might be surprised at how satisfying they can be. Add all the trimmings you normally do: cheese (or an alternative), mustard, pickles, mayo, whatever, and I bet you'll be pretty happy.

If not, try other varieties and brands. The flavors and textures very hugely, from chewy and smoky, to mushy and bland. Don't give up after just a few. There are so many to try, I'm sure you'll find something you like.

Meat Analogs

Several companies also make fake meat products, such as chicken strips or chunks, luncheon meats, pepperoni, and hot dogs. Again, the tastes vary quite a bit from brand to brand. But they can be very satisfying. Look for them in the freezer or deli section, as dried bits to be rehydrated, or canned.

I love veggie pepperoni, chopped up and added to a pizza. Or veggie hot dogs added to baked beans.

Being a vegetarian doesn't mean you have to give up the foods you love. With a little trial and error, you can re-create those comfort foods, including meat. It takes some persistence and willingness to experiment. But you are likely to find decent meat substitutes when you miss that meaty flavor.

Best Meat Substitutes For New Vegetarians Who Miss the Flavor

Find award-winning vegetarian and vegan recipes at my blog: http://almostveganinparadise.wordpress.com/

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Spicy Venison Jerky - Delicious Dried Meat Snack With a Hot Chile Flavor

Jerky is considered one of the first convenience foods in America. These nutritious dried meat strips sustained many a hungry cowboy and traveler on the plains of the western part of United States.

Dried chile flakes are the traditional seasoning for jerky. They not only flavor the meat, but also help preserve it, which the Indians discovered many years ago. Chiles contain an anti-oxident that prevents meat, and meat fat, from turning rancid as it is drying in the sun. The chiles also help in warding off insects and birds through the drying process.

Even today, along the Rio Grande River Valley of New Mexico, Pueblo Indians make venison jerky. The whole process matches the beginning of deer hunting season with the harvesting of red chiles in this region.

Making jerky, and in this case venison jerky, is a very simple process at home, using your oven to dry out the meat. Jerky can be enjoyed "as is" for a snack, or it can be served in a sauce or gravy like any dried beef.

Venison Jerky Recipe

Venison round steak, trimmed of fat, and cut in strips

Pure ground New Mexican hot red chile

Salt

For the most tender jerky, cut the venison strips across the grain of the meat. If you prefer chewy jerky that has to be torn or pulled (that's where the name "jerky" comes from), then cut the strips along the grain.

Generously sprinkle the meat strips with the ground chile and salt. The more salt used, the quicker the venison jerky will dry. Place the season strips of meat on the rack of a broiling pan, or any type of rack that will allow the circulation of air around the meat and the draining away of fat.

Set the oven at 150 degrees F., and place the pan of meat in. Prop open the oven door about 2 inches to let the juices evaporate. Dry in the oven for about 8 hours, or until the jerky reaches your desired dryness.

Store the jerky in a cool, dry place that allows for circulation. Because it is very difficult to get the meat completely dried, storing in an airtight container often causes it to mold. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Billy Bristol is the writer and editor for Food in Texas, a website devoted to the celebration of traditional homemade Texas Food. With simple recipes and cooking ideas that bring out the best in classic Texas cuisine, Food in Texas is creating its own culinary legacy.

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Billy is also the writer and editor for Spicy Cooking, a website devoted to hot spices, spicy foods, blazing cooking, the hottest cuisines around the world, and "knock-your-socks-off fiery hot recipes that all chile-heads and chili-head wannabes will love. Spicy Cooking will fire up taste buds and scorch your plate...Guaranteed.

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