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Becca Bossow
June 17, 2022
A Filet That Happens to be Made… of Plants
I first stumbled across Juicy Marbles in an eco-friendly email to which I subscribe. It was at the very bottom, but the fact the word “steak” was in a typically plant promoting email thread caught my eye. Steak had been my favorite food until I went vegetarian five years ago. I went to Juicy Marbles’ website and found that is specializes in plant-based filet mignons, which they note the absurdity of, stating on their package, “in a world so serious, and yet so ridiculous, you know it was only a matter of time before a plant-based filet mignon would become a thing.” I was ecstatic, only to have my hopes dashed . . . they only shipped to European countries. However, they said that a US launch was coming soon, so I checked their site daily for over two months and was quick to order when the steaks did release. (Note that the price is not for the faint of heart; I paid eighty dollars for two packages of the steak, each of which came with four filets.)
My steaks arrived two weeks later. I froze them, waiting for an opportunity to cook them up and impress my family. The product had a faint meat smell about it, but it wasn’t overwhelming, which I enjoyed. After rubbing the steaks with Omnivore Salt, I seared them in a cast iron skillet according to the package directions. I served them alongside coconut rice and greens.
Now for the “juiciest” bit of this review: the flavor. Juicy Marbles promised a filet mignon, and while that is not quite what I got, I was still pleased. Classically, filets have a milder flavor than most cuts of beef, so the fact that it didn’t deliver a slap-in-the-face steak flavor didn’t surprise me. The flavor, while not completely convincing, was still beef-like and tasty; even meat-eating family members enjoyed it. The crust was nicely browned and crispy, while the interior was soft and fell apart, with a texture not unlike corned beef. Juicy Marbles truly shines when mixed in with something unassuming, and when mixed with rice, the filets passed completely as a meat product.
While not yet perfected, Juicy Marbles filet mignon is a promising start in the world of plant-based steaks and given the alternative (real cow meat), it is certainly the better option for the environment, vegetarians, or at least something fun to try.
You can find Juicy Marbles here: https://www.juicymarbles.com/shop/us/filet-mignon-2-pack
*Update: they are currently sold out, but should have another drop mid June*
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