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Vegans no longer have to miss out on one of the greatest dining experiences known to man: juicy grilled ribs.
That’s because Slovenian company Juicy Marbles has released its latest faux-meat product: the world’s first plant-based staple, made largely from soy.
The quirky meat alternative is called ‘Bone-In Ribs’ and features imitation ‘bones’ that can be air-fried or fried to create a ‘crispy snack’, the company says.
It aims to restore the ‘primal joy’ of eating boneless meat for vegetarians or vegans who miss the experience.
Just like the real thing, Bone-In Ribs are suitable for marinating and cooking in a fraction of the time, but at almost £30 per stack they don’t come cheap.
‘Succulent plant-based ribs’: Juicy Marbles sold two 500g packs of ribs for 66 euros (£57) – around five times more expensive than real pork ribs
They’re suitable for marinating just like real ribs, but at almost £30 a stack they don’t come cheap
“With so much surface area to caramelize and rich fat throughout, every bite delivers that perfect combination of crispy, melt-in-your-mouth crust and tender, juicy meat,” Juicy Marbles says on its website.
‘The bones are made of nutritious vegetable protein, which means they can also be eaten.
‘For a crunchy snack with more protein than jerky, you can fry, bake or air fry them.’
For a limited time in the summer, Juicy Marbles sold two 500g packs of ribs for 66 euros (£57).
So each pack – which contains six bones – costs £28.50, which is around five times more expensive than the real thing from UK supermarkets.
Although Bone-In Ribs is sold out (there will apparently be more next year), MailOnline has managed to obtain a sample of this limited ‘drop’.
I immediately noticed that the meat and bones look very different and have very different consistencies, even though they are both made from soy (the company wouldn’t tell me how it did this).
I decided to rub my ribs with a simple dry mix – consisting of paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper and some barbecue spices.
I decided to rub my ribs with a simple dry mix – consisting of paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper and some barbecue spices
Promo image of ‘Bone-In’ Ribs from Juicy Marbles featuring realistic ‘meat’ and a bonus snack – edible ‘bones’
At Juicy Marbles’ suggestion, I first coated the ribs with a “binding agent” to make the rub stick – olive oil – although they were so slimy that this probably wasn’t necessary.
Unlike the trendy slow cooking methods for real meat that take hours, the vegan spareribs are prepared in the oven in just 20 minutes.
Other than the authentic looking charred bone points, they looked about the same when they went in the oven as they did when they came out.
To be honest, Bone-In Ribs are purely vegetable material and therefore do not undergo such a dramatic transformation under high temperatures as pork.
Like the meat from Juicy Marbles’ first two products—filet mignon “steak” and a large striploin—the faux meat looked a lot like pulled pork and fell apart into nice, juicy strands.
Juicy Marbles claims to use a mysterious machine called the ‘Meat-o-Matic 9000’ to stack the plant protein into linear fibers, mimicking muscle structures.
This name conjures up images of beautiful constructions worthy of Wallace & Gromit, although I fear the reality is not so exciting.
The fake meat looked a lot like pulled pork – it just fell apart into nice, juicy threads – but the bones were a different story
Realistic: Juicy Marbles claims to use a mysterious machine called the ‘Meat-o-Matic 9000’, which stacks proteins into linear fibers and mimics muscle structures
But as for the bones, they were one of the strangest things I’ve ever put in my mouth – and I’m sure even Matt Hancock would feel the same if he could try this.
I expected something I could nibble on—like pork crabs or a fancy breadstick—but instead they were chewy and pliable, like cartilage.
It hurt my teeth to chew it, and I felt like a cow in a field chewing on a grass buzz as I waited for the moment I could swallow.
The charred ends were the hardest part, which was a surprise because Juicy Marbles claims that putting the bones in the oven is a way to get them crispy.
Maybe the way to get the most out of them is to stick them in an air fryer?
I expected something I could nibble on – like pork scratchings or a fancy breadstick – but instead they were chewy and pliable, like cartilage
Although the taste of the bones was fine (they tasted like soy), it hurt my teeth when I chewed them
Reportedly, during the development of the new product, Juicy Marbles employees had considered making plant-based rib meat with inedible bones that would go into the compost bin just like real animal bones.
However, the company decided to make their version of bones edible – because what’s the point of consumers buying something and then immediately throwing some of it in the trash?
Unfortunately, with a dining experience like this, I think most shoppers will take a bite of these hard slices and immediately throw them in the food waste bin.
Sorry Juicy Marbles, I respect the innovation and I’m a fan of your soy meat, but if you could fillet your ribs for me next time, you’d make me very happy.