This \'Smoked Meat\' Is Actually Watermelon

THIS 'SMOKED MEAT' IS ACTUALLY WATERMELON

PHOTO @DUCKSEATERY/INSTAGRAM/BRUNCH BOYS/YOUTUBE


Meat substitutes are on the rise, with products like the Impossible bleeding vegan burger that are supposed to ape the taste, texture and appearance of meat to cater for not only vegans, but those who want to cut down on their meat consumption.

Some of the world’s best chefs are also getting in on the trend in highly creative ways: René Redzepi and his team over at Noma in Copenhagen recently created a very realistic celeriac shawarma that has taken the Internet by storm.

Now there’s a new dish that will make you rubberneck back to your screen: a ‘smoked ham’ that is in fact a watermelon. The dish is the creation of chef Will Horowitz at Duck’s Eatery, a BBQ restaurant in New York’s East Village.

The watermelon ham is created by first removing the rind and then brining the watermelon in salt, ash and herbs for four days. It is then smoked for eight hours and roasted in its own juices.

And well, it does look very similar to meat. But how does it taste? According to the Brunch Boys below, it’s salty, smoky and sweet; confusing, but delicious. By all accounts it tastes nothing like meat or fresh watermelon.

The reaction online has been predictably mixed, with many using it to have a pop at vegans, while others have praised the chefs creativity.

If you want to try it, each watermelon, which serves three to five people, will set you back $75.