Barbecue Pulled Mushroom Sandwiches
You'll need both hands and several napkins to relish every morsel of this meat-free twist on pulled-pork sandwiches. Maitake (aka hen-of-the-wood) mushrooms are grilled until they're browned all over, then you'll shred them with two forks and stir in a simple, speedy barbecue sauce. Mound the mixture on brioche buns, and top with vinegar-spiked slaw for that all-important crunch.
Ingredients
- vegetable oil, for grill
- 2 cups finely shredded green or red cabbage (or a combination)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned (¾ cup)
- ¼ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves and thin stems, chopped
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise or vegenaise
- 2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 ½ pounds maitake mushrooms (10 cups), tough stems trimmed but cores left intact, broken into large clusters
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 recipe speedy barbecue sauce, warmed
- 4 brioche buns, split
Directions
- Preheat grill to medium-high; scrub grates, then lightly brush with vegetable oil. In a medium bowl, toss cabbage with carrot, cilantro, mayonnaise, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, toss mushrooms with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning a few times, until mushrooms are browned and charred in spots, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl. Using two forks, shred into bite-size pieces.
- Toss mushrooms with barbecue sauce. Toast cut sides of buns on grill, about 1 minute. Spoon mushroom mixture and slaw on bottoms of buns, add tops, and serve immediately.
