This might have been a big mis-steak.
One TikTok foodie is getting slammed after she posted a recipe for cauliflower “steaks” that are, in fact, definitely not steaks.
Ayeh Manfre, who goes by the username @cookingwithayeh on the social media platform, shared the directions for the dish in a 23-second clip that has already topped 914,000 views. She typically posts videos about her plant-based and vegetarian food creations.
In the video, Manfre showed herself slicing up cauliflower into thin pieces and coating them in a spice rub.
“I love eating steak, and I haven’t eaten meat in years,” she explained at the beginning of the video. “These are cauliflower steaks, with a spice rub that’s so good and caramelized when roasted.”
After Manfre brushed the “steak” with her seasoning mix — which consisted of olive oil, paprika, cumin, garlic, chili and salt — she instructed viewers to pop it into the air fryer or oven until the fake meat turned “golden and tender.”
The Post has reached out to Manfre for comment.
In the caption of the TikTok post, she wrote, “These Cauliflower Steaks are going to be your new favourite way to eat Cauliflower!”
However, it doesn’t seem like that will be the case for some of her viewers, as they started some beef in the comments, calling her out for even daring to label cauliflower as anything but.
“If u don’t love steak… and haven’t eaten it in years… u don’t love steak lady,” one viewer commented.
Another agreed, writing, “These are caramelized cauliflower, not steak. You are welcome 😌.”
“I think that looks really nice but if I was promised a steak and got that, I’d call the police 😳,” someone else typed.
Another seconded, “Why don’t you just eat cardboard and call it steak.”
One TikTok user teased, “I love lettuce. I cut my ribeye into lettuce shapes and it tastes so good.”
But some defended her, including the TikTok account of animal-rights group PETA. They were fans of the recipe, writing, “Love cauliflower steaks that save animals 🌱💚.”
“Doesn’t taste like steak, obviously,” another TikToker admitted in the comments. “But this is actually so delicious when seasoned right.”
Even though Manfre got some hate for the recipe, it seems like she actually might be onto something. On Thursday, fast-food chain Chick-fil-A, best known for the chicken sandwiches, announced that they’re testing out a breaded cauliflower sandwich as their first plant-based entrée.
The new sandwich will be available in a few locations — Denver, Colorado; Charleston, South Carolina; and the Greensboro, North Carolina, area.