Gourmet Food

» Jacqueline Church - What to use instead of salt pork, bacon etc.

The difficulty is whether one expects to approximate the smoked meat flavor or the cured meat flavor versus whether you are simply looking for a deeper, savory flavor - Japanese call it umami.When I was vegetarian, I opted for not trying to find a soy based meat imitation, I always found them disappointing. Would rather have a purely, designed-from-the-ground-up meat free option.

That said: miso paste is quite salty and completely meat-free. You can often add just a bit to a sauce (say your baked beans) to get a rich salty taste. Doesn't taste like bacon but it will taste richer than beans made without. another idea is liquid smoke. This can be found in most supermarkets now. IT's simply smoke that has been captured, and condensed. You get rich smokey flavor with no meat. For things like baked beans that would be great.

If you're looking to use a veggie meat product (Say fake bacon bits or tofu dogs) in a baked bean recipe, add them at the end. They will as you note, disintigrate during cooking if you add them earlier. Adding them at the end will keep them intact and impart that little meaty crunch or flavor in the tasting.

Also, take a look at my my post on the St Lawrence Mkt. The smoked paprika paste (either sweet or hot) will add a lovely depth of flavor.

Hope that helps.