MailOnline has tried the world’s first vegetable filet mignon steak – and it comes shockingly close to the real thing.
Made by a Slovenian company called Juicy Marbles, the fake filet mignon contains fat made from sunflower oil and soy protein that mimics real meat.
Rather than using 3D printing or scaffolding, Juicy Marbles uses a patent-pending machine to align layers of protein fibers from bottom to top.
This results in a texture that mimics the fibers in beef tissue, resulting in juicy chunks that ‘gently tear away’.
However, the product comes at a nice price worthy of a real filet mignon; unless you buy in bulk, each 113g Juicy Marbles steak costs almost £10 each.
Juicy Marbles says on its website: ‘The experience is exquisite. The texture is firm, yet velvety soft’
Juicy Marbles uses a machine called the ‘Meat-o-Matic 9000’, which puts proteins into linear fibers and mimics muscle structures
Juicy Marbles says on its website: ‘The experience is exquisite. The texture is firm, yet velvety soft. As juicy chunks gently tear away, one can begin to question reality. You can describe it as juicy, luscious or even outrageous.’
Filet mignon is a cut of meat taken from the smaller end of a cow’s tenderloin — the long, narrow, lean muscle found in the loin.
Filet mignon is a prized cut because that particular piece of muscle carries no weight, so it’s naturally soft and tender.
To recreate the luxurious consistency of the filet mignon, Juicy Marbles does not use 3D printing, nor is it lab grown, unlike other current methods.
Instead, it uses a mysterious machine called the “Meat-o-Matic 9000,” which puts proteins into linear fibers and mimics muscle structures.
The primary ingredients of the fiber are water, soy protein, wheat protein, salt and beet powder, which closely mimics the deep pink color of cow meat, without draining the blood.
Juicy Marbles has also used sunflower oil to mimic the marbling of a filet mignon steak — the tissue of creamy white fat that makes beef so juicy.
The Juicy Marbles product also has a similar calorie count to real filet mignon – 100 g is about 170 kcal each.
The first thing I noticed after taking the vegetable filet mignon steak out of the package was the texture: it’s limp and a bit wet, just like beef.
Again, as with the real thing, it’s best to sprinkle the Juicy Marbles filet mignon with salt before cooking.
Filet mignon is a cut of meat taken from the smaller end of a cow’s tenderloin — the long, narrow, lean muscle found in the loin
A four-pack of the vegetable filet mignon steaks comes shrink-wrapped and can easily be mistaken for beef based on looks alone
I fried four steaks in hot oil that smoked lightly, so that the outside quickly got a nice brown crust.
Cooking the vegetable steaks only took a few minutes on each side. I served them with a very basic garnish – chips, peas and a tomato sauce – which probably didn’t do the product justice.
My chips were even a little undercooked as I was so desperate to finish my meal and try the steaks.
The best thing about the Juicy Marbles steak was the texture – the way the individual fibers fell apart easily was extremely similar to beef fibers.
The lines of sunflower oil fat are also arranged to keep the inside moist and give the steak a rich and juicy mouthfeel.
As for the taste, there is a very subtle hint of soy in the meat, as you would expect, but the crispy seared crust on the outside is very deep and meaty.
At the dinner table, I really don’t think many people would be able to tell that this “steak” is animal-free – especially if you top it with a hearty red wine gravy or a peppercorn sauce.
Unfortunately, the vegetable filet mignon doesn’t come cheap – a pack of four 113g steaks including postage costs €45, or £38.50.
Buyers do have the option to save money if they buy in bulk – four four-packs (so 16 steaks in total) cost €96 (£82) including postage.
That works out to just over £5 per steak, which is about the price you’d pay for a half-decent steak at the supermarket.
I served the Juicy Marbles steaks with a simple accompaniment – chips, peas and a tomato sauce
The best thing about the Juicy Marbles steak was easily the texture – the fake meat just falls apart
Is it worth it? I’d say just about. If you’re hosting a dinner party, vegan or vegetarian friends will be thrilled to try this product, especially if they used to eat meat and still have an occasional appetite.
You can also feed them to all your meat-eating friends, listen to them get excited about the best piece of meat they’ve ever tasted, then shock them by telling them it’s vegan.
I’m not vegan or even vegetarian, but I do believe in a future where animal meats have been replaced by ethical, eco-friendly plant-based and lab-grown options.
Juicy Marbles is clearly pushing the boundaries with its product, which could be the key to getting meat addicts to cut their intake.
While eating meat at the current rate of consumption has been linked to global warming, the UK government has no intention of telling people to cut back.
Earlier this month, Environment Minister George Eustice said the government will not force the public to stop eating meat for environmental reasons, as humans are “ultimately omnivores.”