Mock Meat Recipes from WWII
When people get creative, we get fun recipes like these
I find mock recipes pretty fun, but the ones that mock other meats are especially creative! Because of how unpredictable meat prices are these days, I thought it would be helpful to look back on ways folks living through WWII utilized mock meat recipes to overcome meal challenges. I’ll be pulling recipes from the United States, Australia, and England.
Most of the time, a mock meat recipe didn’t replace the meat with something non-meat. Mock meat recipes just meant replacing one meat with another, typically because of shortages, expenses or what was on hand. However, there are instances of other things being used to replace meat like beans, nuts or gluten. We’ll be looking at a few of those too!
Mock Chicken
This is, by far, the most substantial category for mock replacements. Mock chicken was typically replaced by pork, because they’re both considered “white meats” and plain pork has a relatively neutral taste like chicken. Though, as we’ll see, pork is not always the replacement! This category might prove especially helpful as chicken prices fluctuate based on industry chicken health.
I’m particularly fond of this Mock Chicken Sandwich Filling (we could call this “chicken” salad). It’s super delicious, and I had a hard time telling that I was eating pork.
This winning Mock Chicken recipe from Australia is strictly vegetarian and gets its protein from cheese and egg. Flavor is added by using onion and herbs. I find this really intriguing. I think I’d try this one.
Another recipe from Australia creates mock chicken in a pie using mutton (adult sheep) or rabbit. Onion, thyme and parsley add some good seasoning including a large spoonful of chopped bacon.
This recipe from the U.S. uses veal (young cow) as the chicken replacement. The only herb they use is three optional bay leaves. Sounds a bit bland for modern palettes, but nothing a handful of other herbs and spices couldn’t fix!
These cute little drumsticks were made from veal and served with gravy. The recipe comes from a newspaper column by Meta Given, who was a cookbook author as well. She wrote The Modern Family Cook Book which features year ‘round menus for a family of 4. It’s a very cool cookbook!
Cooked, chopped pork is used for this mock chicken casserole dish. It’s served with a delicious-looking mushroom sauce. Corn flakes are added to the top for a crunchy crumb layer. lol Isn’t it amazing that we still use cornflakes for this purpose today? Classic.
One of the greatest thing about these mock meat recipes is that they have you mold ground meat (veal in this instance) into the desired meat shape. For this recipe it’s chicken legs! I’m not sure why they couldn’t just serve veal as veal and call it veal. Maybe they needed that psychological trickery to cope with not having the chicken meat they missed so much.
The next three recipes are intriguing vegetarian recipes from a Seventh-Day Adventist church recipe book from wartime called Food for Health and Victory - Balanced Meatless Meals and Recipes. They ate a vegetarian diet, per their beliefs, so they have a very fascinating take on utilizing gluten as a meat replacement. I include their “Foundation Gluten Recipe” which you need in order to make the next two recipes. I am super curious about this. It reminds me a little of TVP (textured vegetable protein) that was super popular when I was a kid in the 80s.
Mock Pork
I actually tried these Bean Sausages and found them plain, but quite good dipped in salsa and sour cream! I think the name comes more from the shape than the flavor, because the beans completely cover up the sage. I’d recommend upping the sage and be sure to use a more neutral-tasting bean like navy or maybe limas.
Continuing with the sausage theme, these “meatless sausages" from England are created with mashed potatoes, green beans, oatmeal, suet, onion and flavorings of sage, paprika, nutmeg and onion.
This is a second recipe from the same cookbook with potato-based sausages. These use parsley, nuts, and oatmeal or breadcrumbs with herbs of your choosing.
I’m not sure what to make of these “chops” made from a huge amount of walnuts and cracker crumbs. Definitely protein hardy. I don’t think I’d be thinking of pork chops though. What do you think?
Mock Beef
Beanburgers have made a comeback. I even tried a delicious beet burger at a restaurant last year! It’s super cool to see vintage versions of the recipe too. They use baked beans for this version which would be quite fun to try. I love that they give the option of turning into a “chop” by stick in a dry macaroni piece to simulate the bone. If you’re thinking one of those elbow macaroni noodles, you’d be wrong. In the 1940s macaroni came in long pieces like spaghetti but they were tubes. Some people complained that they were too hard and sloppy to eat. Not too long after, cut macaroni elbows came out and America hasn’t looked back.
Enjoy the bonus mock sausage recipe too!
See the Foundation Gluten Recipe from the Mock Chicken section to make the following two recipes.
Ground beef and suet are typically used in traditional mincemeat. I’ve seen a few mock mince recipes in wartime cookbooks. So, even though mince pie is traditionally Christmas fare, I thought it would be good to include it anyway! I love that this one is called “Glorified Mock Mince Pie.” Haha!
Mock Turkey
It makes sense that a few recipes for mock turkey were floating around during WWII. Turkeys were very traditional for Thanksgiving and Christmas, as always, but they were scarce because so many of them went to feed soldiers. In America, Turkey was also served year ‘round at restaurants and even on railroad dining cars when they were available, so I love seeing these mock turkey recipes, especially when they shape them into big ol’ legs to mimic the real thing.
It’s cool that both of these recipes use a combination of veal and pork to simulate the turkey...
…while this recipe asks for lamb shanks.
Mock Fish
I never thought I’d see a recipe where the milled wheat hot breakfast cereal, Farina, would be used to replace fish. This vegetarian dish is meant to mimic a halibut steak. If you’re scratching your head, you’re in good company. I think the lemon is supposed to do the trick of transformation, but I am really skeptical on this one! I do like that they tell you what nutrients the recipe provides.
I think this recipe from England is quite clever in that it gives a fish flavor to rice, spring onions, potatoes and egg with anchovy sauce or “essence”.
The oceans were a dangerous place during wartime, so even places close to the source of fish could be restricted in its availability. Fishermen were literally taking their lives into their hands to bring in a day’s catch.
Mock Venison
In case you can’t get your hands on deer this season, you can always try this recipe for mock venison using mutton.
Miscellaneous
And finally, we have a creative gravy recipe using egg, flour, oil, and milk or potato water.
