Meat prices continue to rise. This is most notable with beef, where formerly inexpensive cuts like chuck roasts are now sold at luxury prices. Traditionally less expensive meats, like pork and chicken, are also increasing in cost.
There are ways to reduce meat consumption. Many cultures substitute legumes, grain products, and mushrooms to make meat-free dishes. Extenders can be used along with meat to bulk up a recipe, with the breadcrumbs or oatmeal in meatloaf being an example. Meat can also be stretched by cooking combination foods, like casseroles, hot dishes, soups, and stews. In these dishes meat plays a secondary role to other ingredients. For decades, I have used these traditional hacks to stretch my family’s meat budget.
I was a medical student in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Let me rephrase that: I was a penniless medical student, and my poverty continued into my residency. My grocery budget was minimal, and I always looked for cost-saving options. In those days, ground beef was inexpensive, but ground beef mixed with TVP, or textured vegetable protein, was even cheaper. How did it taste? Like ground beef, but a bit drier and with a slightly different texture. You can no longer find ground beef with TVP at my local grocery store, but many frozen foods still use TVP as a meat extender. TVP never went away; it just went underground.
Manufacturers have jumped on the no-meat bandwagon with their meat-like creations, such as Impossible Meat, Beyond Beef, and Fable. Commercial products use various plant products, from legume flours to mushrooms, to create a meat-like texture. Their ingredients determine the nutritional value of these products, but many offer a relatively high amount of protein per serving. However, commercial “meats” are expensive, sometimes more than the real thing. These products are designed for non-meat eaters who are convenience-conscious rather than cost-conscious.
A while back, I became interested in alternative cooking methods. My goal was to produce good-tasting foods that were not clones of the “real thing” but similar enough to be considered viable options. This interest led me back to TVP and its many forms.
TVP can be made from various plant products, but is most commonly made from soy flour. Soy flour is a byproduct from making soy oil. I’ll be discussing that form of TVP today.
Soy flour is mixed with water, cooked under high pressure, and extruded in a machine similar to those used to make breakfast cereal.
Soy TVP is very high in protein; in fact, it can be higher than a comparable serving of beef. It is very low in fat, and unlike meat, it is high in fiber.
Soy TVP is sold dry and must be rehydrated. This usually involves soaking or boiling it in water or broth. The excess liquid is then blotted or squeezed out before the product is used in a dish. TVP comes in various shapes, from granules used in dishes like spaghetti sauce and Sloppy Joes, to curls and chunks that can be substituted for foods that traditionally require such shapes, such as a stir-fry or a barbeque sandwich. Roughly one cup of dry TVP, when rehydrated, equals around one pound of meat.
Soy TVP is essentially flavorless, but like it cousin tofu (which is made from soy milk), it takes on the flavor of whatever it is mixed with. For an omnivore like myself, adding flavoring agents like bouillon or other meat products is essential. Vegetarians need to be more creative and use meaty-flavored additions like miso, soy sauce, and liquid aminos. Many dishes rely on spices and sauces to add additional flavor and familiarity.
Depending on your additions, you can make TVP taste like whatever meat you need. In today’s example, I’ll make a “chicken” stir-fry, but I could have turned the dish into a “beef” version by adjusting a few ingredients.
TVP is shelf-stable and can remain usable for decades if appropriately stored. It can be a great prepper food as it requires no refrigeration and is a high-quality protein source.
TVP is significantly less expensive than beef, but your savings will be determined by where and how much you buy. TVP lovers buy in bulk and will save considerably more than if they purchased a little bag at their local store. Granulated TVP (Bob’s Red Mill brand) can be found in the health food/alternative section of many grocery stores, and granulated and other TVP shapes can often be purchased at health food stores, Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme, Sprouts, and online. One food blogger I researched noted that TVP was about half the price of beef based on their particular use case.
As a plant-based product, it is considerably more environmentally friendly than any meat source.
Some folks are concerned about using soy products; for them, there are a variety of TVPs made from other plant flours, such as pea TVP. You can also buy TWP, which is textured wheat protein. Note that TWP is a wheat product and contains gluten.
For most, soy TVP is the product to use as it is the most available and is tolerated by many. However, avoid soy TVP if you are allergic to or have digestive issues with soy. Some are concerned that soy contains isoflavones, which can mimic estrogen. However, most isoflavones (around 70%) are destroyed when making/cooking TVP. With that said, you may want to consider a non-soy TVP product if you have an estrogen-sensitive cancer or other medical concern. Always consult with your doctor if you have any food or health concerns.
There are various methods for preparing TVP. I’m not aTVP expert, so I combined several that seemed credible. Most methods will hydrate the TVP, then pat or squeeze out any excess liquid, and add some sort of seasoning or marinade.
My method in today’s recipe was a bit excessive. It did lead to a delicious dish; I’m sure it could have been streamlined. YouTube has many TVP recipes to help you start your TVP journey.
Here is the step-by-step recipe for my first TVP dish using TVP chunks, a “chicken” stir-fry. The results were delicious, and the TVP did have a meat-like texture. Did it taste like chicken? It tasted good and had a chicken flair, but it was not an exact dupe. However, the family said they would eat it again. In fact, my son went back for seconds.
TVP “Chicken” Stir-Fry
