You’re Doing It Wrong: Veggie Burgers

[MrScorpio]

Forget everything you know about veggie burgers. No, wait—for just a moment, remember everything you know about veggie burgers: the suspiciously rubbery feel of those textured-vegetable-protein disks; the Gardenburger patties that look like coagulated oatmeal; mushy, homemade bean burgers that disintegrate the second you put them between the two halves of a bun.

Now forget everything you know about veggie burgers. Veggie burgers don’t have to be to hamburgers what The Wedgewoods were to The Beatles (at least according to Mad Men). In fact, they shouldn’t really try to imitate hamburgers much at all: We don’t yet have the technology to make fake beef that tastes anything but disquieting. And, to consider another popular approach, there’s no reason vegetarian patties have to include every edible crop known to man. (Here’s a black bean, and a grain of brown rice, and—look, everyone, a corn kernel!)

Veggie burgers simply need to be sturdy, savory, and juicy—flavorful and dense enough that you know you’re eating something distinct from the bun, and not getting more bland starchiness. The way to accomplish that is marinated tempeh.

Tempeh is a fermented soy product. Originally from Indonesia, it’s typically sold in the United States in half-pound shrink-wrapped rectangles. A few months ago, I suggested making chili with tempeh, which immediately prompted widespread outcry from chili traditionalists. But tempeh is the closest thing vegetarians have to a non-weird meat substitute. And, whether or not you’re a vegetarian, it’s absolutely the best ingredient for veggie burgers.


http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/05/23/tempeh_burgers_marinated_veggie_burgers_that_actually_taste_good_.html

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Interesting - will have to try that.

Most fake burgers taste like (and have the consistency of) a mixture of sawdust and moss congealed in a matrix of Elmer's Glue.

[Honeycombe8]

2. I'd try it. Where do you get it? nt

[MrScorpio]

4. Try the Asian market in your area. nt

[hedgehog]

3. FOrwarded to my two vegetarian daughters!

[MiddleFingerMom]

5. The only time I quoted (and paraphrased) Samuel L. Jackson was at a very nice vegetarian restaurant

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... in Tucson. I ordered a tempeh burger and BELIEVE (:rofl I said, "Now, THAT... is
a tasty veggie burger!!!"
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I could give up burgers for this -- though I've not had that effect duplicated since.
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Their "shepherd's pie", however, sucked pink slime.
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[becca da bakkah]

6. I'm a Veg Head. For About 15 Years Now.

I make my own version of veggie burgers, which doesn't fall apart, and doesn't taste bland. But I LOVE tempeh for vegetarian Reuben sandwiches. Just thaw and split the block of tempeh in half, then fry one section in oil until golden on all sides.

Add a few squirts of liquid smoke on the tempeh....to replicate the corned beef. Top with melted Swiss cheese, and drained, cooked sauerkraut on toasted rye bread spread with 1000 Island dressing. YUM....with a sour pickle on the side!