Juicy Marbles, a company specializing in whole-cut plant-based meats, has recently unveiled its latest creation: Bone-In Ribs with edible vegan bones.
Getting the texture and flavor of ribs right with plant-based ingredients is tough and the company does this through its proprietary technology. Known as “the Meat-o-matic Reverse Grinder TM 9000,” the process layers soy proteins into linear fibers, imitating the texture and flavor of ribs.
Juicy Marbles
But if that’s not enough, Juicy Marbles took the innovation a step further by developing vegan “bones” to give the rack of ribs both structure and take it beyond the limitations of animal meat.
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Beef about edible vegan bones?
These edible plant-based bones are made from almost pure protein, boasting a content comparable to beef jerky. The bones can be consumed as puffed, crispy snacks after baking, frying, or air-frying.
Co-founder Vladimir Mićković says this intentional feature was developed to point to the limitless possibilities of vegan food and how it can surpass and outperform animal products in new ways.
After previewing the Bone-In-Ribs, Juicy Marbles says that its decision to mimic bones in a vegan product has ignited debate online. And the company is happy to get people critically thinking about the topic.
Juicy Marbles
According to Mićković, the creation of edible bones was not purely about logistics but the joy of challenging concepts and providing a more engaging eating experience.
“To some, bones from plants may be an ideological provocation, but we shouldn’t take these things too seriously,” Mićković said in a statement. “It’s just fun from every angle.”
Why put edible bones into vegan meat? The idea behind the product was inspired by the team’s nostalgia for the primal joys of eating ribs and the need for more ‘food culture-friendly’ plant-based foods. The team believes that meat’s cultural experience goes beyond flavor and includes celebration, sharing, and belonging.
“Bones invite you to eat with your hands, to tear off succulent chunks of meat, and share that indulgence with the whole table,” Mićković said
And the team learned a thing or two during the development process of Bone-In Ribs.
“It was also fun developing them. Since we made the bones ourselves, we could actually question the concept of bones in general. We could challenge ourselves to make them useful—even edible,” Mićković. “At Juicy Marbles, we don’t just aim to re-create a shape of meat, but the entire experience, as well as the macro/micronutrient profile.”
Juicy Marbles
Juicy Marbles’ Bone-in Ribs will be available for regular purchase on the company’s web shop sometime in early 2024. Currently, the product is available via limited “drops” in the United Kingdom, European Union, and United States.
Juicy Marbles has a history of using pre-releases and early customer feedback to refine its products, with “meat drops” selling out within hours.
Interested consumers can sign up for the “list of pure prestige” on the company’s website to access the first small batch of 500 rib racks, set to drop on August 28. Subscribers can earn points for a chance to win a free rack of ribs on launch day through referrals and social media shares.
Recreating the full meat experience and beyond
The new Bone-in-Ribs are the latest innovation from Juicy Marbles, which has been wowing curious consumers since 2020 when Slovenian entrepreneurs Mićković, Tilen Travnik, Luka Sincek, and Maj Hrovat brought the vegan meat company to life.
During last year’s holiday season, the company released yet-another first: a hefty 1.5-pound vegan sirloin that featured a traditional meat texture, complete with the ability to produce the Maillard reaction (the desired browning during meat cooking) for authentic flavor.
Juicy Marbles
This tenderloin followed the launch of Juicy Marbles’ flagship product: whole-cut vegan steaks that eat like filet mignon.
More than a simple meat substitute, the company’s innovations signify a redefinition of the entire meat category, which Mićković hopes will transcend the binary of plant versus animal sources.
“I hope it gives people an extra culinary tool … something that makes it a little easier to reduce dependence on animal protein. But that’s never our message,” Mićković previously told VegNews.
“A lofty dream I have is that people will stop comparing plant-based meats versus animal meats, and just start seeing ‘meats’ as a broader category of food, recognizable for its sensory experience, not the source of protein,” he said.
With texture and flavor nailed, Juicy Marbles is also working on making its meats more attractive in price than their animal-derived counterparts. One example was that its holiday tenderloin whole cut came offering a 10-percent per pound discount on the whole-cut steak format.
With plans to expand to restaurant menus and new products always in the pipeline, Juicy Marbles is shaping a new culinary perspective that emphasizes the enjoyment and diversity of plant-based meats within the broader food family.
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Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.
