Although they’re best known for their revolutionary egg replacer, JUST Inc. just announced a new, cutting-edge plant-based project. The company will be partnering with two Japanese food manufacturers to develop, produce, and sell a cell-cultured version of Wagyu beef, a rare and extremely expensive cut of meat from Japan. JUST is far from the first company to develop cell-cultured cuts. Israeli-based Aleph Farms has already developed a cell-cultured steak, although no one has yet to produce a beef product so specific as Wagyu.

Cell-cultured meats are of particular interest to ethically-motivated plant-based eaters. Since creating meat out of cell cultures doesn’t technically require keeping animals in captivity (or using animals at all, for that matter). The news may also be exciting for carnivores, as these new cell-cultured cuts are actually cheaper than the real thing. For reference, a cell-cultured cut can cost around $15, and cut of Wagyu beef can be upwards of $150. Price is perhaps the biggest hurdle for cell-cultured meats to overcome, which makes culturing meats that are already more expensive a particularly intriguing business idea.

Even if you have no interest in eating ethically-made meat (It’s still meat, after all), some plant-based eaters argue that the best way to end animal suffering is to make buying cell-cultured meat cheaper than the real thing. It may seem like a far-away future, but the reality is that cell-cultured meats are on the rise, and could be less expensive than conventional beef as early as 2020.

If you need any evidence that cell-cultured meats are the future, I hear they’re doing something pretty interesting with Wagyu beef.

Your Own Beefy Bliss

You don’t need cell-cultures to bake beefy delights on your own! Check out these bits of plant-based beefy goodness, courtesy of the Food Monster App.

 Mushroom Filet Mignon With Mushroom Red Wine Sauce

Source: Mushroom Filet Mignon with Mushroom Red Wine Sauce

If you’re looking for a hearty entree that mimics a classic steak, give this Mushroom Filet Mignon from Plant-Based Meats a try. Look for mushrooms with thick stems, which are easier to strip. It takes a few minutes to shred the steamed mushroom stems into umami-rich lengths, but once they’re embedded in your steak, they give it a certain meaty chew that works. Use the caps to make the meaty red-wine sauce spiked with fresh thyme, and you have a delicious meal.

Stuffed Seitan Roast

Source: Stuffed Seitan Roast

Just because it’s vegan it doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste amazing! Josephine Watmore‘s Stuffed Seitan Roast can be made in the morning and left to cool before things get too hectic during the holidays. Then just slice off the portions you need for dinner and reheat for 10 minutes until hot all the way through just before serving. This way, it frees up space in the oven and makes preparing dinner more relaxed and less overwhelming!

Barbecue Baked Seitan Strips

Source: Barbecue Baked Seitan Strips

Considering how incredibly flavor absorbent seitan is, it’s no surprise that baking Josephine Watmore‘s Barbecue Baked Seitan Strips in the oven with BBQ sauce already slathered all over it would yield delicious results. In this recipe, seitan is made from scratch and then doused in a savory BBQ marinade. Add this seitan to tacos for a zesty Mexican dish, to wraps with vegan mayo, or on top of your favorite salad.

We hope you enjoy these delicious vegan meat recipes. We guarantee that they are sure to please even the carnivores in your family. At the very least, they will prove to them how delicious meals can be without meat. For more delicious recipes, download our Food Monster App. We have over 15,000 vegan and allergy-friendly recipes, so you can find more ideas for the holidays and beyond!

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