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A Florida steakhouse chain brags it is the first in the US to serve a plant-based steak.
Charley’s Steak House in Orlando is selling the F U Filet Mignon for $69 (in the mid-range of the chain’s meat prices).
“Freaking unbelievable plant-based by Chunk,” reads the simple description on the online menu.
Chunk Foods is an Israeli food-tech startup aiming “to make delicious, nutritious, plant-based whole cuts that are kind to the environment, and accessible to all.” It’s partially funded by Robert Downey Jr.
While other restaurants have been offering vegan and meat alternatives for years, Charley’s newest Chunk-y menu item has reportedly made it the first steakhouse in the country to serve a plant-based option of the tenderloin cut.
“Chunk is listed on the same menu as other premium cuts of beef thanks to its exquisite culinary performance, great taste and texture, clean ingredient list, and impressive nutritional profile,” Chunk founder and CEO Amos Golan told Veg News.
The team behind Charley’s claimed they had been on the prowl for a viable vegan option and finally found themselves unable to detect the difference between the real beef and the vegan option during a blind taste test of Chunk’s product.
“It fooled us,” Seth Miller — vice president and COO of Talk of the Town Restaurant Group, which runs Charley’s — told Fast Company, explaining that the team had been searching for something to serve vegan and vegetarian guests who join their carnivore friends, but had “just been disappointed” (until now).
Chunk uses only a few ingredients in its “filet,” including fermented soy and wheat, beet juice, coconut oil, fortified iron, and B12 while avoiding additives found in other plant-based options.
A 6-ounce version of the steak has 40 grams of protein and no cholesterol.
“While the technology is rooted in classic fermentation methods, the end product leverages years of science and technology,” Golan explained to Fast Company.
“One of the biggest challenges in the industry is mimicking the texture, color, and taste of traditional meat, along with controlling the direction and thickness of the fibers and the juiciness of the cut.”
This seems to be a feat Chunk has conquered.
The F U Filet Mignon is prepared alongside other high-end cuts of meat, with a dry spice rub on the wood-fired open flame pit — where the temperature can reach 1,200 degrees.
Waiters serve it in tuxes.
“Since we cook on an open fire, we wanted it to perform very similar to a steak — we didn’t want to bring in something that we would have to create separate execution or different procedural standards for,” Miller explained.
Talk of the Town Restaurant Group plans to eventually offer the cut at its other steakhouses, including Texas Cattle Co. and Vito’s Chop House.
“This partnership provides a solution that aligns with our quality expectations for every item we serve. If it’s not the best, we won’t serve it,” Miller told Veg News.
While the quality of taste is up to diners to decide, the debate on the nutritional value of veganism continues between food experts and activists.
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