This Ingredient Is Key To A Flavorful Watermelon Steak

Watermelon has long been a symbol of summer. The juicy pink fruit is a cool, hydrating snack perfect for hot weather. This is how most of us first encountered watermelon, and how many of us still eat it. But this summer symbol has now found its way to a favorite summertime activity: grilling. Some creative culinarian created the watermelon steak, a slab of watermelon seasoned and grilled just like a cut of beef. It may sound a bit strange at first, but watermelon is actually one of the best fruits and vegetables to turn into vegan "steak" — so long as you know how to dress it up. While you have a bit of creative license with your seasoning mixture, one ingredient you definitely don't want to skip is liquid smoke.

To give your watermelon steak a proper meaty flavor, you'll want to brush it with a mixture of savory ingredients before sending it to the grill or grill pan. Ingredients like garlic, salt, black pepper, soy sauce, and miso paste can all add layers of salty, umami flavor. But it is the dash of liquid smoke that really completes the illusion, giving the dish the meaty flavor you expect from a bite of a steak fresh off the grill. The flavor of a grilled slab of watermelon obviously isn't going to take on the exact same flavor or texture as a piece of red meat, but with a few drops of this magical elixir — and squinted eyes, perhaps — you can almost believe it's the real thing.

Given the transformation that takes place when you brush a bit of garlic, oil, and liquid smoke onto a watermelon wedge and slap it on the grill, we'd be remiss not to mention some of the other incredible watermelon transformations out there. It isn't just a steak alternative; watermelon is now filling in for everything from cucumbers and potatoes to sashimi.

Watermelon masquerading as meat has really hit the mainstream, and raw tuna is one of its finest forms. All you have to do in order to enjoy your own platter of watermelon "tuna" is slice up an underripe watermelon, marinate it with savory flavors like soy sauce, miso paste, rice vinegar, and sesame oil, and then bake it until it takes on the right texture. Not only is it vegan, but it is also much easier on both your wallet and the ocean.

The transformations extend beyond the flesh of the watermelon as well. The rinds of these summer fruits are also incredibly useful in the kitchen. You have surely heard of watermelon rind pickles by now, but have you heard of watermelon rind kimchi? Both are quite delicious. But watermelon rind also doesn't need to be pickled to be palatable; you can toss it straight into the pan as well. There is a traditional Chinese stir-fry in which watermelon rind is the star ingredient. You can also toss cubed watermelon rind into the curry pot, where it behaves like a firm squash. As it turns out, there are plenty of ways to eat watermelon beyond those classic pink slices.