Beyond Test Kitchen: Flavor Explorer Pack
...for the phytocurious!!!
We don’t know when it happened, but apparently some of us now are experiencing the Alpha-gal syndrome. The allergic reaction is to the Alpha-galactose (galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose) sugar, a molecule found in most mammals and typically introduced by a bite from a Lone Star Tick
Many of our editors have advocated eating vegetarian for years. The Alpha-gal situation gave the RainyDayKitchen folks another reason to take a renewed dive into what is current in the red meat alternative space. Over the Summer, we sampled a lot of different plant-based meat substitutes (Daring, seitan, etc.). Along the way, we came upon Beyond Test Kitchen and their products.
Beyond Meat made a name for itself a while back with its meatless burgers that “bled” like red meat burgers. For a variety of reasons, Beyond Meat’s meatless burgers never really took off big with the general public. It didn’t help that one of the biggest complaints was that the meatless offerings weren’t as “healthy” as people expected because of the heavy processing involved in making them look/feel like the meat they were replacing. Also, it didn’t help that many used oils high in saturated fats to get the mouthfeel and texture of meat.
In response, Beyond Meat took a step back, formed Beyond Test Kitchen, and started making plant-based meat substitutes with a focus on healthier products, but also WITH flavors and textures that could win over even the meat-eaters…perfect for Alpha-gal syndrome sufferers!!!.
Flavor Explorer Pack
We looked at all of the Beyond Test Kitchen products, and decided it would be easier to sample everything in one go. Their Flavor Explorer Pack is a bundle of new products not available in the supermarket and offers a selection of various types of sausages, along with the filet, and is available only online.
The items were shipped well-packaged, with dry ice, and arrived in about three days. Everything was still frozen, in great condition, and exactly as described.
Sausages
Truly healthy sausages always seemed to be a contradiction in terms, but Beyond Kitchen is taking a stab at it with their offerings.
Sausages originally came from ancient Mesopotamia around 3000 BCE, where cooks stuffed chopped meat and fat into animal intestines to preserve food and prevent waste.
The earliest known records show Sumerian cooks making sausage precursors.
Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Chinese cultures independently developed their own versions. For example, early Chinese records mention goat and lamb sausages from around 589–420 BCE.
Traditionally, meat sausages are generally not a healthy food choice for regular consumption because of the high amounts of sodium, saturated fats, and processed meats.
Beyond Meat made sausages healthier by transitioning their recipes to a heart-healthy plant-based formula that significantly cuts down on saturated fat and removes cholesterol entirely. They accomplish this with a simplified ingredient list, relying heavily on core ingredients like yellow pea protein, brown rice protein, and faba beans.
Other key improvements are:
- Switch to heart-healthy avocado oil
- No coconut oil means no more saturated fat
- Much lower sodium & calories formulation
Over the course of a couple of weeks, we sampled all of the Beyond Meat sausages in the bundle. We’ll have more specific things to say about them in the next post. The short take is “delicious.”
Filet
Faux meat has come a long way. Gone are the days of dry, tasteless, rubbery “burger” pucks. Welcome to the dawn of filets with a juicy, meaty look that sears like real meat, truly!
The bonus is that it is made with just four cholesterol-free ingredients (wheat Gluten, Faba Bean Protein, Avocado Oil, mycelium). It is healthier for people and healthier for the planet!
Traditionally, faux meats tried to simulate ground beef because it is easier, but Beyond Meat’s filet aims for a solid steak in appearance, texture, and overall meat-eating experience.
Due to its nutritional benefits (zero cholesterol, low sodium and saturated fats, less processing), the Beyond Meat filets and their other products have earned official certifications from the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check Program and the American Diabetes Association’s Better Choices for Life initiative.
We love red meat and have been eating it for most of our lives, but had to cut it completely out because of our Alpha-gal situation. Having had the Beyond Meat filet, we are happy to never go back to eating mammalian protein again 🙂
FirstThoughts
After having tried all of the items, we are completely sold on them!!! Excellent flavor, mouthfeel, and texture. They all had their own distinct qualities and were amazingly close to their meat counterparts, but without the grease, cholesterol, or triggering any Alpha-galactose-related issues.
We can say that the Beyond Test Kitchen passed the test with flying colors!!!
In the coming FirstTaste post, we’ll discuss in detail the preparation, flavor, and texture of the Beyond Meat sausages and filet, and what we would love to see in the future.
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