Chef hails ‘bread steak’ as vegetarian alternative to meat, sparking fierce debate

These days there are plenty of alternatives to meat for anyone following a plant-based diet.

From jackfruit to tempeh, tofu to classic veggie burgers, the options are endless for vegans, vegetarians and eco-friendly eaters.

Yet one chef’s suggested substitute has been met with exasperation and incredulity on social media.

Instead of feasting on a bleeding slap of red meat, journalist David Tamarkin recommends tucking into a “bread steak”.

This, according to food website Basically, consists of a “parmesan-crusted chunk of pan-roasted sourdough”.

Sharing an image of the creation on its Instagram page, the site described the showpiece as “decadent, fatty, salty, and (if you do it right) downright meaty.”

It explained in the caption: "When @davidtamarkin stopped eating steak, he still craved a slab of something lavish at the center of his plate—and a cauliflower “steak” just wasn’t going to cut it. Enter: The Bread Steak.”

However, even their elaborate sell of the dish failed to win over critics, with scores of users mocking the meal as little more than a slice of cheese on toast.

"Y’all are really trying to convince people that cheesy bread tastes like steak…. thank you for starting my day off with a laugh,” one Instagrammer wrote.

“So French toast is the Wagyu equivalent,” joked another, in reference to the highly-prized Japanese beef.

“I’m sure it tastes f***ing awesome but this ain’t steak. Don’t even try to advertise it as a substitute,” commented another.

While another argued: "Petition to ban the word ‘bread steak’ from ever being said again. #itstoast.”

Meanwhile, a fifth refuted the idea that any meat alternative should be awarded the “steak” moniker.

“A bread steak. A lettuce steak. A cauliflower steak. None of them are steak,” she said.

The debate soon made it’s way onto Twitter, where users were similarly incensed:

A number pointed out that the “bread steak” should not be classed as vegetarian if using traditional parmesan:

But some were more charitable about the dish, admitting that they’d gladly give it a go:

All we know is this whole debacle is starting to make us hungry…