The dish has failed to win over vegetarians
(Picture: basically/Instagram)These days there are plenty of alternatives to meat for anyone following a plant-based diet.
From jackfruit to tempeh, tofu to classic veggie burgers, the options are endless for vegans, vegetarians and eco-friendly eaters.
Yet one chef’s suggested substitute has been met with exasperation and incredulity on social media.
Instead of feasting on a bleeding slap of red meat, journalist David Tamarkin recommends tucking into a “bread steak”.
This, according to food website Basically, consists of a “parmesan-crusted chunk of pan-roasted sourdough”.
Sharing an image of the creation on its Instagram page, the site described the showpiece as “decadent, fatty, salty, and (if you do it right) downright meaty.”
It explained in the caption: "When @davidtamarkin stopped eating steak, he still craved a slab of something lavish at the center of his plate—and a cauliflower “steak” just wasn’t going to cut it. Enter: The Bread Steak.”
However, even their elaborate sell of the dish failed to win over critics, with scores of users mocking the meal as little more than a slice of cheese on toast.
"Y’all are really trying to convince people that cheesy bread tastes like steak…. thank you for starting my day off with a laugh,” one Instagrammer wrote.
“So French toast is the Wagyu equivalent,” joked another, in reference to the highly-prized Japanese beef.
“I’m sure it tastes f***ing awesome but this ain’t steak. Don’t even try to advertise it as a substitute,” commented another.
While another argued: "Petition to ban the word ‘bread steak’ from ever being said again. #itstoast.”
Meanwhile, a fifth refuted the idea that any meat alternative should be awarded the “steak” moniker.
“A bread steak. A lettuce steak. A cauliflower steak. None of them are steak,” she said.
The debate soon made it’s way onto Twitter, where users were similarly incensed:
“Waiter, I asked for my bread steak medium-rare and this is medium-seeded batch, take it back.”
— Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) June 26, 2021
it sounds like very delicious toast but it is not a steak! there are so many meat alternatives out there now, just buy one of those if you want a steak!!
— henry crabgrass (@kxthleen) June 26, 2021
Why would bread steak be your faux meat cheese on toast go to when Welsh Rarebit is right there? https://t.co/OBzTIcy33W
— Bill (@UncleBill_D) June 27, 2021
A number pointed out that the “bread steak” should not be classed as vegetarian if using traditional parmesan:
It’s also not vegetarian (Parmesan cheese, by any useful definition of vegetarianism, never is because they kill the cow to make it). You wouldn’t believe how often the only non-meat dish on a menu has Parmesan. Sure sign that the chef just doesn’t care.
— Jonathan Hoey (@jonathanhoey_81) June 26, 2021
not only is the bread steak not steak it's also not even vegetarian which i think may be funnier https://t.co/N6th55f8Sg
— minister for hating izzie stevens (@gothtallaght) June 26, 2021
But some were more charitable about the dish, admitting that they’d gladly give it a go:
this looks good as hell, i can replace the cheese but how can you not want to eat this https://t.co/rwbm18iQZC
— 💀Kenner💀🆒💉🆒 (@TinyTrashYeen) June 27, 2021
I WANT IT https://t.co/1YRnPRIwn7
— reaux (@reauxpudu) June 27, 2021
This is 500000% toast but I *WILL* have at least two slices because that does sound very nice https://t.co/kijsZcnXN0
— Phil Incelmo (@WhereDidJennyGo) June 26, 2021
All we know is this whole debacle is starting to make us hungry…
