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Home / Lifestyle

TV chef's BBQ brisket sparks global outrage

news.com.au
19 Sep, 2018 12:12 AM3 mins to read

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This is a beef brisket. When a TV chef decided to create a vegan option he was hit by the outrage of carnivores the world over. Photo / Getty Images

This is a beef brisket. When a TV chef decided to create a vegan option he was hit by the outrage of carnivores the world over. Photo / Getty Images

Has vegan activism gone too far?

Television writer Kevin Biegel had no idea his latest vegan recipe would become an online sensation as he blended jackfruit and seitan together to make a replica American classic.

However, shortly after showing off the "BBQ brisket" on his Twitter feed, thousands of angry comments came flooding in and a fierce debate ensued between carnivores and their vegan adversaries.

"Vegan brisket experiment was a success! 18 hour smoke over oak. Is it beef? Nope. But the taste/texture are great" Mr Biegel innocently wrote alongside the now-infamous slice of replica meat.

Vegan brisket experiment was a success! 18 hour smoke over oak. Is it beef? Nope. But the taste/texture are pretty great. Mix of jackfruit, seitan, miso, beer, Franklin BBQ sauce made w extra sugar so it carmalized to a crust — and it did! Plus I don’t feel gross after eating it! pic.twitter.com/BivCMm4D3c

— kevinbiegel (@kbiegel) September 10, 2018
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Calling the police

— Interview With The Wampire™ (@ScottWamplerBMD) September 10, 2018

"Mix of jackfruit, seitan, miso, beer, Franklin BBQ sauce made with extra sugar so it caramelised to a crust — and it did! Plus I don't feel gross after eating it," he continued.

Meat eaters were not impressed and viciously attacked the creation.

"I'm sorry but this isn't an alternative form of BBQ," one person responded.

"Vegans love spending every waking hour trying to make stuff taste like meat," wrote another.

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Thousands of others chimed in saying the creation was "disgusting" and "unappetising".

One threatened to call the police — although hopefully this was sarcastic.

"Worst part is: he probably likes meat more than most of his haters do, judging by how he tried so hard to recreate the taste even when he's not allowed to eat it anymore," guessed another commenter.

Mr Biegel attempted to diffuse the situation by explaining why he was making vegan food and changing his diet.

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Ten years ago, he turned to the plant-based diet because he'd suffered heart attacks and wanted to eat healthier food "in tune with staying alive."

"It's all cool. I been okay for ten plus years now, I feel good about my choices," he wrote in the viral thread.

People really get triggered by vegans just trying to find healthy alternatives to a generally unhealthy and an environmentally unsustainable industry. I don’t go around making salty comments on people posting their meat dishes 🤷🏻‍♀️

— hannahcat (@hannahnannna) September 16, 2018

That looks dope. Post the recipe. Changed my diet up a decade ago. Family history too scary to continue with my old ways. Haters mad because their cholesterol is too high.

— DJ Evil One (@djevilone) September 16, 2018

Vegans responded in waves. They pointed out the irony of meat-eaters jamming their lifestyle choices down everyone else's throats — something the vegan community is often criticised for.

"People really get triggered by vegans just trying to find healthy alternatives to a generally unhealthy and an environmentally unsustainable industry," wrote one commenter.

"I don't go around making salty comments on people posting their meat dishes."

"I encourage anyone who thinks vegans are obnoxious to read the replies to this," another vegan tweeted.

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