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Whether it’s for health reasons or to help save the planet, many Brits want to cut down on red meat.
But perhaps due to a lack of exciting alternatives, it can be hard to resist roast beef and all the trimmings at the weekend.
To make it easier, Slovenian company Juicy Marbles has released a new vegan ‘meat’ product – the world’s first plant-based loin, mostly made from soy.
MailOnline tried the 765g slab of ultra-realistic meat substitute, which costs a hefty 45 euros (£40).
Whole-cut loin is the second product from Juicy Marbles, a Slovenian company that makes plant-based food, and it’s designed for vegans and meat eaters alike
Getting the loin delivered costs an extra 15 euros (£13), bringing the total to 60 euros (£52), although the firm has told me it’s coming to UK supermarkets soon.
Customers can also opt to buy three of these loins for 120 euros with free delivery, which is £105 (or £35 per loin).
Looking online, delis and supermarkets are selling a whole kilogram or more of real beef for as low as £30, so this is a seriously expensive cut of (not) meat.
According to Juicy Marbles, the beef-style loin is perfect for broths, sandwiches, roasts, wellingtons, ‘meat plates’ and more.
‘This is the biggest, most insulting piece of plant-meat ever conceived and home-chefs most faithful companion,’ it says.
‘Interior of the meat may be red or pink when fully cooked, but this is perfectly desirable, as it will have the texture of a perfect, medium-rare steak.’
Juicy Marbles has already released the first plant-based filet mignon steak, with prominent lines of fat marbling made out of sunflower oil.
To make its fake meat, the firm doesn’t use 3D printing, nor does it grow it in a lab, unlike several rival firms.
Instead, it uses secretive patent-pending technology called the ‘Meat-o-Matic 9000’, which layers proteins into linear fibers, mimicking muscle structures.
It claims some vegans won’t eat its products because they remind them too much of real meat, even though they’re completely plant-based.
The primary ingredient of this new whole-cut loin is ‘plant structure’ – comprising water, soy protein and wheat protein.
At 45 euros (£40), plus 15 euros (£13) extra for delivery, this is a seriously expensive cut of (not) meat
The firm says: ‘You can roast, grill, broil, pan-fry and carve it into filets, chunks, or slices. It’s raw and unseasoned, giving you full creative control’
The ‘meat’ loin even bleeds thanks to the water and beetroot, which has been added to give it a deep red beefy colour
The tenderloin can be cut into chunks, slices or fillets, and cooked in the oven or frying pan. Pictured, Juicy Marbles promo image
Other ingredients include thickener, emulsifier, vitamin B12, and ferrous gluconate, which is an iron supplement.
There’s also sunflower oil for a bit of fat and beetroot powder, to give it a nice deep red meaty colour – but there’s no added salt.
Taking it out of its packet, it looks very much like a hunk of beef – albeit browner than it looks in Juicy Marbles’ promo shots.
When I hold it, the loin even ‘bleeds’ thanks to the presence of the water and beetroot.
I search the packaging for instructions on how to cook this giant piece of ‘meat’, but strangely it doesn’t have any.
The closest it gets is ‘always cook to an interior temperature of 165°F’, ‘do not overcook’ and ‘cooking time may vary depending on equipment’.
There are some suggestions though – roast, grill, broil or pan-fry and carve it into filets, chunks or slices.
I decide to slice the loin into slices and pan fry them, although I don’t add seasoning because I want to experience the flavour unadorned.
There doesn’t seem to be quite as much sunflower oil ‘fat’ in this product compared to its fake filet mignon, and as a result the cooking experience is quite different.
Despite a good amount of hot oil lining my pan, the slices of loin get stuck to the bottom and soon fall apart.
After about 10 minutes of cooking I have a pile of crusty fibres, which I serve with roast potatoes, leafy greens and bearnaise sauce.
Things start to fall apart: Despite a good amount of hot oil lining my pan, the slices of loin get stuck
Rather than using 3D printing or scaffolding, Juicy Marbles uses a patent-pending machine to align layers of protein ‘fibre’ from the bottom up. This results in a texture that imitates the fibres found in beef tissue, resulting in juicy chunks that ‘softly tear away’
The Juicy Marbles loin fibres served with crispy roast potatoes, leafy greens and bearnaise sauce
Just like the filet mignon, the loin is deep and meaty, and where it’s been browned by the pan it’s ultra-crispy – so much like real beef.
Thankfully, I didn’t cook the whole loin and have some leftover, which I save to investigate how well it holds up to a bit of slow cooking.
I break the loin into fibres and brown it off with some onions before making a bit of a ragout for some potato gnocchi.
Of course, the loin fibres don’t give the sauce the rich and meaty mouthfeel that beef would, but impressively, they hold their shape and don’t disintegrate.
The loin’s primary ingredient is ‘plant structure’ – which is water, soy protein and wheat protein
The fake meat loin fibres held up well to a bit of slow-cooking, just like those from real beef
Juicy Marbles is attracting vegans and meat eaters who want to cut down by creating cuts that mimic the real deal . Pictured, its beef-style loin
Juicy Marbles’ vegan filet mignon steak (pictured) has prominent lines of fat marbling made out of sunflower oil
Overall, this loin is a really great product for stuff like stews and sauces, and it’s also the perfect shape for wrapping with pasty for a vegan beef wellington.
However, if you really want to put fake meat on a pedestal and wow your diners with a posh steak dinner, I recommend the company’s fake filet mignon.
The filet mignon has more lines of fat that help it cook in a pan; in comparison, the loin is ‘leaner’ and more ‘muscly’, good for a wider range of dishes.
This is about as realistic as plant-based meat gets, and blows the competition off the supermarket shelves – although the price will be off-putting for many.