Vegan BBQ Taking New Yorkers by Storm

A recent Gothamist article
highlights the rise of vegan barbecue in New York’s food scene.

Two major vendors at the popular Williamsburg Smorgasburg
food market, Mighty Quinn’s and Monk’s Vegan Smokehouse, are soaring to the
top of a highly competitive foodie scene.

Chris Kim, co-owner of Monk’s, said, “The subject of ‘vegan
barbecue’ is obviously a touchy one for barbecue purists. No pigs or cows are
slaughtered, so we are automatically not a traditional barbecue joint.

Kim describes the process of making the vegan meats:

We make our seitan in slabs, about
two pounds each, that hold up to heavier treatment of smoking and grilling. It’s
first dry rubbed with our spice blend. We then let it “age for about three
days and then it hits the smoker. We smoke the sweet “Kansas City-style
barbecue seitan over mesquite for a minimum of two hours before we serve it. We
transfer it to direct heat towards the end of the smoker time to build up a
little char. It’s then rested for about 10 minutes, thinly sliced, and finished
on the grill with our maple barbecue sauce.

The booming company is following a fast-growing trend. Veganism
has seen great success in New York in recent years. In fact, not too long ago we
covered a Village Voice article that reported
a surge in popularity of vegan cheeses in the Big Apple.

This trend isn’t unique to New York. Vegan food options have
significantly increased
over the past 10 years, with millions of dollars invested.

Meanwhile, meat and other animal products have been on the
decline. This is great news for farmed
animals, our planet,
and vegan foodies!

You can join this movement by switching to a delicious and
compassionate vegan diet.

For flavorful recipes and tips on making the switch, click here.