Bridging the Great Divide

For the past several years I have been working in the blended meat realm. I have shared in the past that at one time, long long ago, I was a vegetarian. There weren’t a lot of options back then and certainly not on a restaurant menu except for a house salad and French fries. After two years of beans, tofu and veggies I was introduced to Bryant’s BBQ in KCMO along with a substantial helping of Jack. Needless to say, I still drink bourbon, Bryant’s is still my favorite and I am a forever carnivore. That being said, I am convinced the blending of plant based and animal proteins is a bridge moving to a more sustainable path. A path that is better for us, the animals we raise for food and ultimately, the planet.

I learned a lot about animal stewardship from a long-term client that represents nutritional additives. This company creates supplements for chickens, horses, domesticated pets and livestock. A major part of their company credo is the humane treatment of all animals. Through this relationship I have become more aware of animal welfare and more mindful of how we treat and raise our animals specifically for our food consumption. It is something I believe strongly in as a chef. For me this includes respecting the animal that gave its life so we can maintain ours and utilizing all of the parts to the best of our ability. All in all, it is simply a better understanding of our food systems and how that correlates to us and our world.

Which brings me back to plant-based products and blending animal protein -based ingredients. My work in this arena is to help companies lower their costs by changing an existing product while maintaining, if not improving the flavor and mouthfeel of said product.

I believe this as a viable solution to counter raising costs of raw materials while improving their bottom-line margins. I also see this as a bridge for some consumers who believe reducing their intake of animal protein for a more plant-based diet as a healthier choice. Let me underline this next statement. I do not believe we should eliminate animal proteins from our food system. We just need to be smarter about conserving our resources.

I was having a discussion with my son about the quintessential Jersey breakfast meat “Taylor Ham/Pork Roll”. I’ve taken up the challenge to try and replicate this tasty breakfast meat here in my lab. First, I need to work on the correct spice profile and methodology to produce a similar mouthfeel and flavor. I understand it is a thick meat puree, that is smoked and poached in a casing to achieve the correct consistency. Once I nail that down, I am also going to attempt blending it with some plant-based ingredients to see we can improve perfection. My past experience is that by adding in these plant-based ingredients the end result retains more moisture and improves the mouthfeel. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

My query this week to you all is: Have you ever tried animal/plant-based blended product? Would you be open to trying it?

Live well always

Bridging the Great Divide

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