Doing the Impossible

Many years ago, I started hearing about something Impossible, a burger that looks like a burger, cooks like a burger, and tastes like a burger, but was made in a lab with plant protein. Suffice to say, it was in the back of my mind for a long time and I was very curious.

When it finally came to market, you could only get this burger at a limited number of fancy restaurants. And no offense, but if I am going to a fancy dinner, I'm not getting a vegan anything. So I waited...

Months and months later, it came to my attention that it was available at fancy burger joint Umami Burger. With my mentee in tow, we decided to check it out.

The Umami Impossible burger comes in the California style, 2 thin patties, grilled hard. Topped with cheese and special sauce.

The results: My first impression was wow! This tastes like a burger. Almost. But very close. Let;s break this down. First, the hard grilling really tasted like grilled meat. Which is why the first impression was so good. When you look at the meat, it even looks like burger meat. Once you take a few more bites, you realize it isn't quite a burger. There is an aftertaste that is not quite right. Not saying it is bad, it just isn't burger. But, my burps sure tasted like burger!

But one thing I had read about this burger, that Umami didn't deliver on, was that apparently when cooked Medium Rare, this burger would bleed. So, had to find an impossibly bleeding burger.

And in stepped The Counter, another burger chain that was now carrying the Impossible burger, and they cook it fat so it will bleed. So one day at work, a bunch of us ordered Impossible burgers. This time the burger came fat and when you bit into it, it definitely was juicy and runny like a burger with a pink color. I was impressed with the technology. Unfortunately, I didn't really pay attention to the condiments they used on the burger when I ordered it. It was very Mediterranean, with goat cheese and balsamic dijon. So the burger got a bit lost with those overpowering flavors. That said, when I found nibbles on the side not covered in cheese, they tasted about the same as at Umami. Good grill flavor, something different at the end. Verdict, mostly disappointed by my not seeing the goat cheese toppings. I'll give it one more bloody try.

And try I did, with another visit to the Counter, but this time, I made it my way. With cheddar cheese, bacon and mushrooms, AKA how I like my burgers normally. And at the end of the day, having it my way was a nice touch, but I probably never need to have another Impossible burger. I love beef. And if I was a vegan, I would still probably not get this burger again. Why? Aside from the slightly different flavor, mostly it is price. This costs more than a regular beef burger, and doesn't taste as good. So in my mind, it is more of a gimmick at this point. If they can get mass production, that is environmentally friendly, so the price is cheaper than beef, I might give it another try.

Until then...

Ya, I got suckered into the Impossible world 1 more time. But this time was different, it was Impossible Chorizo! In a taco salad from Mendocino Farms. Basically, it appears they took the Impossible burger and mixed it with taco seasoning. And it worked. By far the best version of impossible I have had. The seasoning basically makes it taste like chorizo without the weird taste. It reminds me of the Sofritas at Chipotle, which I usually get when I got to there. Why? Because it is an alternative to the same choices I get everywhere else.

So my Impossible quest ends for now. I hope they find a way to make the price more palatable, because beef is still king!