Um, so how exactly do people eat steak (dishes) anyway?

Question

I just got these new "Viana Cowgirl" vegan steak things from Germany for fun http://veganstore.com/new-products/viana-cowgirl-veggie-steaks/Page_2/557st.html and I just realized that I have no idea what people do when a slab of "meat" is dinner.
:)

When I was a kid I just drowned it in catsup... but that probably wouldn't taste too good now.

Should I put sautéed onions on it or something with some kind of spinach side dish?
Thanks
:)

Lol, You guys crack me up.
:)

I wasn't expecting so many great answers. I had to make ravioli and save the steak for when I can decide what to do.
:D

Answer 1

! (I'm laughing at your confusion)

Do you realize how many meatie types are *totally* confused by your question? They just don't understand how different our eating habits are and that the concept of having a slab of 'protein' for a meal is totally foreign to us! I went through the same 'culture shock' the first time I made a rib-eye analog, and did it again earlier this year when I made some one pound T-bone steak analogs. My comment about making them was something like "You want one pound? But that'll throw your protein and fat calories totally out of balance!".

Since you're 'experimenting' with meatie cuisine you need to eat two of those entire packages at one sitting. The appropriate accompaniment would be a large baked potato (at least 3" diameter and over 6" long) with at least 1/3rd cup of Earthbalance, 1/4th cup of 'Better than sour cream', half of a package of Vegan gourmet cheddar (shredded) and 1 or 2 strips of Smart Bacon (crumbled), the only greens you're allowed would be a small sprinkling of chives. To dress up the plate you can add a tiny sprig of parsley (curly, not Italian) but under NO circumstances eat it (who needs vitamins anyway, we've got PROTEIN).

A more practical answer would be to coat the slabs with cracked black pepper and pan fry them in about a tablespoon of earthbalance (until the pepper starts to brown, you'll understand when you do it). Transfer the steaks to a warming platter and then deglaze the pan with about a quarter cup Bourbon (I've visited Weller and it's vegan), expect the alcohol to flame off BTW, along with another dollop of earthbalance whisked in to make a sauce for the steaks.

For a side I usually do something potato (baked, fried, mashed,scalloped (the usual suspects)) and/or some kind of mix of steamed, seasoned veggies (whatever I've got on hand). A good dollop of spinach casserole would be killer with it and don't forget the garlic bread and salad!

I know it's alien to us, but don't sweat the side dishes. The protein slab is supposed to be the main attraction! '-)

Edit:

Just saw some suggestions popped up (whilst I was answering) to slice and then cook them, unfortunately the 'structure' of them (the way they spun and then formed the protein and binders in the product) makes that problematic (they tend to disintegrate). That's not to say you can't do it, but you have to be *extremely* gentle with the uncooked strips! You CAN cook them and THEN slice and re-cook them though!!

Answer 2

Ooh, Viana is AWESOME. You have got to try their Chickin Fillets. Those are actually spicier than the Cowgirl Steaks.

I've only had it twice (one package of two "steaks"), and I just fried it up in a pan and had a baked potato with it, but the onions and mushrooms idea sounds wonderful! Add some haricot verts or a salad, and you've got yourself a meal!

If you use a Worcestershire sauce, make sure it's vegan (either Annie's Naturals or the Wizard).

Answer 3

Well 4 me personally I would recommend shrimp. Think about it your on a wonderful date and everything is going well. Why sabatoge or humiliate urself by having a thick piece of steak in your teeth. Besides if its elegant, u don't want your hands to be all greasy and why take the chance because if your meat is not cooked correctly it can be hard to chew, then you will look like a horse eating an apple. Also in the world today everyone is concerned about health, and shrimp is i am sure better than steak. Don't forget to smile, watch how u dress because u don't want to give the wrong impression and u will have a pleasant evening. Hope that helps

Answer 4

i cook my steak in the oven in those plastic oven bags . i sprinkle the bottom of the bag with a little bit of flour and i rub the steaks with a mixture of spices and place them in the bag . then i add some chopped or sliced veggies like onion , carrots , potatoes into the bag . then i mix a half cup of water with a half cup of tamato sauce and pour it over the steaks and veggies . then seal the bag (and of course u have to put the bag in a pan before u put anything into it lol) and pop it into the oven at 400 degrees for about an hour . im not sure if this will work for veggie steaks tho but u could always give it a try . mash patatoes is a good side dish .

Answer 5

I've never had fake steak before but this is one of my favorite ways to prepare and eat the real thing:
Season the steak with some steak seasoning.
Put it on the grill. Cook until medium rare. This means the inside will be pink not red.
Saute some onions and mushrooms to serve on the side.
Bake a potato in the oven. Serve this with plenty of butter and shredded chedder cheese.

Lightly dip the steak into your favorite steak sauce and eat.

Answer 6

If it really looks too much like the real thing (a steak),
consider cutting it up and making fajitas.

For fajitas you slice the veggie steak into strips
Marinate for a few hours in:
lime juice, olive oil, garlic (peeled & minced), ground cumin,
and chopped fresh cilantro leaves.

Fry the "steak" -- add some strips of green pepper and onion and cook for a few minutes.

Serve in a corn or flour tortilla with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and salsa.


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Answer 7

Close your eyes when you eat that. It bears a scary resemblance to the real thing. You might even want to order
a seperate veggie plate and mix it all up in order to minimize the visual effect. Fix some broccoli, onions, and carrots ( if I recall you don't like squash) and put some terriaki or peanut sauce on top and I'll bring some pomegranate juice.

Answer 8

I dont know how you feel about the texture of meat..but we got a mock vegan steak dish from Whole Foods, it is disgusted me. It didnt taste bad but egh..was really like eating steak and just made me sick. I guess thats not what you wanted to hear though. lol.

Answer 9

I would go with the sauteed onions and mushrooms. Baked or mashed potato on the side might not be a bad idea just so you can say you had "meat and potatoes" "meat and spinach" just doesn't have the same ring.

Answer 10

Salt & pepper -- sometimes people used steak sauce. Rice or baked potato & a vegetables on the plate. Hard roll with butter.

Sounds like a diner dinner. It is.