Soy vey!
NYC’s meatless meat trend — initiated by plant-based patties such as the Beyond Burger and the Impossible Burger — is invading the city’s most sacred institutions: old-school delis.
Sarge’s Delicatessen & Diner, a 24-hour Jewish deli in Murray Hill, is now selling a “vegetarian Reuben.” At a glance, the $18 dish looks like the standard deli classic, with rye bread, sauerkraut, a blanket of melted Swiss and a side of Russian dressing. But instead of tender slices of corned beef, it’s filled with a “plant-powered” facsimile, manufactured by Unreal Deli.
“It’s a new craze, so we wanted to try it out and see how it works,” manager Keith Limbach, 40, tells The Post of the cold-cut copycat, which was featured on “Shark Tank.” “I haven’t had a complaint about it yet.”
Whereas real corned beef is made from brisket (the lower-chest cut on a cow), Unreal Deli’s corned beef is made from a blend of wheat, beets, chickpeas, tomatoes, soy sauce and various other ingredients. At Sarge’s, Limbach says, the fake beef is prepared separately from the real stuff to prevent meat contamination.
Unlike Sarge’s very meat-forward real Reuben — a $25.45 open-faced behemoth piled high with protein — the vegetarian option is served closed, and contains noticeably fewer slices of “beef” beneath the cheese and sauerkraut.
Still, it’s a solid visual impersonation. Deli-goer Rachel Ross, who was out shopping for Shabbat supplies, was impressed.
“It looks beautiful,” says the 66-year-old, peering at my sandwich. Although she couldn’t try the cheese-topped sandwich that day — she had just eaten meat, and kosher law forbids mixing the two — she’s glad to know there’s a “good option” for another time.
The most important part: What does it taste like?
“The people like it,” Limbach hedges. “It’s a different texture, but it looks very similar . . . I can’t say it tastes exactly like corned beef.”
Reader, I tried one, and he is right: It definitely doesn’t taste like corned beef.
“It’s the sauerkraut,” Limbach says, in response to the face I was making. (It wasn’t the sauerkraut.)
The best part of Sarge’s real-beef Reuben is how the thinly sliced meat moistens the bottom slice of rye, facilitating a gooey, salty bite. Unreal Deli corned beef doesn’t do that. Compared to the real stuff, it’s disappointingly dry. There’s also something funky about the flavor: Instead of fatty, salty umami, you get a hit of tomatoes . . . and, confusingly, cinnamon?
That said, it wasn’t inedible. After several bites, I started to get used to it. It wasn’t corned beef, but it was still food, covered in tangy cabbage and cheese. And one point to the faker: It’s lighter and easier to finish than Sarge’s over-the-top real-beef Reuben.
Besides, Limbach says, this sandwich isn’t really meant for omnivores like me. The point is to give vegetarians — and vegans, hold the cheese — an option at Sarge’s beyond a salad or a wave goodbye.
“If you’re [vegetarian or] vegan, it’ll be something you enjoy,” he says.
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