Taste Test

Major meat eaters were suspicious. “I hate that low-fat beef,” said one, slicing off the tiniest tidbit of meat. “It all tastes terrible.” He took a bite. “This isn’t so bad,” he said, slicing off another, slightly larger bit. He chewed thoughtfully, then sliced off another piece of meat. Finally, having devoured most of a strip steak, he sat back and gave the verdict. “They must be lying,” he said. “Nothing that low in fat and cholesterol could possibly taste this good.”

That was the general reaction to SmartMeat in The Times Test Kitchen: We all thought it was pretty terrific stuff. Goldberger promises that in addition to being tasty and healthy, SmartMeat will not be very expensive. So while SmartMeat is certainly not as good as a well-aged piece of Prime steak, all those who’ve been depriving themselves of red meat for health reasons will rejoice over its availability. Personally, I’m counting the days until the stuff hits my supermarket shelf.