At last! A fake steak to satisfy my own Mr White

Dining out with my kosher hubby, Ray, is a potential nightmare. We live in Leeds which is not blessed with kosher restaurants. Never mind, most menus these days do include vegetarian or vegan options. Marvellous …except many contain nuts and he has a nut allergy.

Fish dishes are often embellished with prawns or other seafood. More often than not he’ll settle for say a plant-based burger with varying degrees of indifference. It all makes going out for a special dinner fairly stressful.

So when the legendary chef, Marco Pierre White told me about the new plant based products he was serving in his restaurants, in all honesty I thought “Oh, yeah?”
He extolled its virtues. “It’s the most clever thing I’ve seen in my 45 years of being in the kitchen’”

This from the man who was the first British chef to achieve three Michelin stars.
He was talking about Redefine Meat, created by an Israeli company, and made from soy and other plant products using 3D printing. “I think it’s going to revolutionise our world,” the chef enthused.

I admit to a soft spot for Mr White, Marco that is, as he grew up in Leeds not far from me. Despite his fiery reputation, I’ve always found him warm, gentle and very knowledgeable about all things in the kitchen.

So, when he assured me :“I tasted it, it reminded me of braised cheek of beef. The truth is, we all want something that is very real, and this is, it’s like eating real meat.” I was eager to give it a try. Next stop, London and the glamorous surroundings of Mr White’s in Leicester Square.

My own Mr White was agog with curiosity ordering the Redefine Steak with buttered English leaf spinach, woodland mushrooms, and extra virgin olive oil. I ordered a similar one with garlic butter.

francine and ray

L'chaim! Francine and Ray prepare to tuck in (Photo Francine White)