The Crucial Ingredient To Give Vegan Steaks A Meaty Color

Whether you're hosting a Meat-free Monday dinner for friends or are trying to coax a family member into trying a vegetarian dish, the right preparation can offer the appearance of meat without any animal products involved. As we know, appearance matters when it comes to food, and for those not quite sold on the idea of digging into a plate that doesn't have a slice of steak on it, some convincing might be in order. With the right prep work, however, you may even trick your friends into believing you are actually serving a dish topped with meat.

Reaching for beets can bring that dark color of red you're used to seeing in main dishes to your vegetarian-friendly meal. If you're preparing mushrooms, for example, after searing the pieces, you can place the cooked fungi into a marinade of beetroot juice and the spices of your choice. Leaving the pieces to bathe in the garlic or herb-seasoned beet juice for 20 to 30 minutes will impart a deep hue to the dish you are making. Though you won't be eating meat, your brain may start thinking otherwise.

This beet juice-soaking approach works well with lion's mane mushrooms, but you can also slice oyster mushrooms, beefsteak mushrooms (yes, that is their name), or the caps of portobello mushrooms to resemble stripes of meat before cooking them and setting them into a shallow dish of garlic and herbs-seasoned beet juice. And that's not all. Try the beetroot juice technique when making vegetarian meatballs or give your next homemade vegetarian burgers a red, juicy aesthetic with the culinary trick. Tofu will also sponge up the red, flavored marinade, and even a tablespoon or two of the juice can make a noticeable difference in your plated meal. 

Just because meat isn't on the menu doesn't mean you can't have a filling and pleasing dish. Creating your next vegetarian meal that has both a meaty flavor and an attractive color may provide the gateway you need to warm up to the idea of more meals served sans animal products.