How to cook meat so that it won't taste like meat?!
In case you are about to say "well, if it's meat, then that's what it would taste like", let me tell you that that is not what I mean. The flavor is like the way raw meat smells like. I have had very good meat in the past, so I know is possible....I just don't know how to do it. Thanks for any advise!
Answers:
There are a few things you should do. First, buy good quality meat. There are certain cuts that have a stronger flavor than others. Avoid meats that have a lot of fat or a marbled appearance- they'll have the strongest flavors. Try to stick to lean meats.
Next, try marinating your meat before cooking. Just adding seasoning at cooking time is not enough to alter the flavor significantly. Beef can be fairly difficult to marinate because it is so thick, but a good lemon marinade on tenderized beef that has sat for about 8 - 12 hours in a fridge will improve its flavor.
Last, don't cook your meat at too high a temperature and don't let it get brown on the outside. This increases the meaty flavor. Instead, cook at lower temperature for a little longer and in a covered pan.
And if that doesn't work for you, then go veggie. There are plenty of reasons to limit your meat consumption. Not liking the taste is certainly a valid one and you may reap some health benefits as a result.
Good luck!!
Why must you cook meat?
Just cook what you like, not the meat if you don't like it- cook mushrooms or pumpkin slices.
To disguise meat, you need a ton of flavourings and other bits- nuts, noodles, and such, but you'll always get that chewy gristly lump of wadding which is like eating an ear lobe- the meat.
There's no disguising it, unless you mince it and puree it- like a meat smoothie. Oh lovely.
Why don't you just go vegetarian? But seriously. How can you not like meat?!!!! Have you tried kobe steaks and well prepared filet mignon, tritip, ribeye, short ribs, brisket,....... man. I love meat.
I like boca burger taste great and don't know difference or try mixing half meat / half fake meat to wean
Consumer not big meat eater
Perhaps you are not buying good quality meat? Beef is USDA graded. Prime grade is considered the best beef, then Choice, then Select. Grade is based on the marbling (tiny flecks of fat) within a cut of meat. Most people prefer the more mabled, higher quality beef, but some people prefer the lean.
Aging can make a difference in the taste. After an animal is killed, the meat can be "hung" in a cooler for up to 21 days. The flavor gets more intense and it's more tender than freshly cut meat.
So there are a lot of things that play into a good steak than just your cooking method. And higher quality (more marbled) beef is much more forgiving to a bad cook than the lower grade like Select.
In my case, I buy Choice beef or better that has been aged about a week. I prefer to buy the Certified Angus Beef brand, but it's not readily available in my small town. So usually I go to a local meat market and get their Choice grade round and ribeye steaks. We grill the ribeyes, just put on some homemade BBQ sauce and let them get warm. Yum.