Do you believe that you can substitute any meat for any other meat in a recipe?

No. Some red meats like venison and beef can be interchangeable, though.

I make an Indian-style masala dish that I’ve used with shrimp, chicken, lamb, beef…it’s all good. Now I’m hungry, thanks. :P

Yes but they won’t always be appreciated by those who’ve come to cherish and look forward to favorite recipes tasting, “just so”. As a person who can easily distinguish the tastes between beef, venison, lamb, pork and fowl, it doesn’t work well.

I don’t see the problem. It depends of course. Sheep and pig are rather distinct in flavor. Changing a little bit more than just the meat could be good.

Well, it can be done a lot. But there are certain instances when it wouldn’t work. Beef and chicken are so different that a lot of times switching them and nothing else would be kind of gross.

No, not always…

If you had ever eaten my Great-Grandmothers beef stroganoff, made with ground turkey, you would not ask.

@DrBill @Dansedescygnes @VzzBzz I don’t mean it will taste the same, I just mean it will work for beef, or for pork, and so on.

@Yarnlady

“Work” meaning the recipe won’t physically fall apart? Then you probably could substitute most meats for others. It might “fall apart” in the taste department though… :)

No, no, no. There are some recipes that I think it works for, but definitely not all. I am admittedly picky, though.

No.
Different meats have different properties. What might be good with one dish, would not be good with another.

No one’s given an example of a non-interchangeable meat dish

Fish Bar-B-Cue?

@augustlan I love fish barbecue.

Ok, see… we are on totally different wavelengths then.

A halibut steak placed on a square of aluminum foil, brushed with honey/lemon barbecue sauce, topped with a tomato and onion slice, wrapped and cooked under the broiler, served with rice pilaf. (or substitute, a chicken breast, or a hamburger pattie, or a pork chop – they all work just as well)

I think people would object to long pig as a substitute meat in most dishes… might be good on the BBQ though….. or maybe with a little Chianti and Fava beans…..........

Taste is a very individual thing.

Chicken lasagna

If you only make casseroles, then yes, you can. Technically the recipe will “work” but the end result is not the same recipe. And, as Dr.Bill said about his grandmother’s beef stroganoff, will not taste the way the people eating expect beef stroganoff to taste.

I’ve used ground turkey and/or chicken in place of beef for chili, and it makes for a whole different taste and mouth feel. I suppose it depends upon your particular tastes. I do know that ground rabbit makes awesome burgers on the grill, and if prepared right, wild game can be substituted for beef or pork in many recipes. So I would answer Yes, I think it can be done, it just depends upon the skill of the cook. Sounds like your skill is adequate enough to be able to pull it off. I tip my hat to you. :-)

There are certain dishes where you can add a different meat (or protein, as in the case of tofu or tempeh) but what you get is seasoned X instead of seasoned Y. It’s like a different dish to me, not the same dish with a substitution.

Sardine curry?

@evelyns_pet_zebra Beaver chili works great!

@laureth I had some friends over the other day, and we had a discussion about that – the key being perspective. If you sit down to eat Chicken Cordon Bleu, but it’s made with wild duck, it just tastes wrong. On the other hand, if you sit down to eat wild duck stuffed with ham and cheese, you’re very lucky, indeed.

Catfish Wellington?

@gailcalled The sardine curry is actually calling to me… :P

@ru2bz46: Stuff earplugs in or tie yourself to the mast…see Ulysses

@gailcalled Oh, but to drown in curry…what a way to go! :P

@DrBill Aha! :) I often substitute ground turkey for ground beef, it isn’t the meat or meat-switch that matters, but the dish itself, in my opinion. I won an award (plaque, ribbon, drunken hoorays) for a chili that I substituted ground turkey for ground beef because I wanted to cut down on fat. Nobody could tell the difference.

@ru2bz46 The cordon bleu substitution is exactly what I am talking about. You might say it’s a whole new recipe, but using the same ingredients, except the meat.

I can think of one meat fail- turkey bacon. Nothing works in place of real bacon.

@elijahsuicide Think of it as cured turkey. Not so bad, now, eh?

@elijahsuicide @ru2bz46 As a bacon lover, I agree that it shouldn’t be called bacon, but I do like it.