Southern Style, Mushroom, Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Vegan Slaw
Remember 20 years ago before vegan food got cool? Before we had fake burgers and pea protein, and seitan at our fingertips in our local grocery stores? Back then, we ate, um…mushrooms, and we ate a lot of them! These Mushroom Pulled Pork Sandwiches are the perfect summer cook-out or picnic food…made with love and just a little sprinkle of nostalgia for the simple plant-based recipes that got me into this lifestyle to begin with!
I have had an awful lot of requests for this recipe after posting it last week as what we enjoyed for our Memorial Day festivities! If I’m honest, this is another one of those recipes that I feel a little guilty calling a “recipe” because it’s so simple…I’m sure we could have some heated debate over sauce and slaw but I’ll share with you how I made mine and you can always customize it to your own tastes when you make it at home! (And you SHOULD make it at home because, YUM!)
What you are going to need to buy:
Mushrooms! - (figure on 6oz of mushrooms, per serving!)
(Ok, listen, friends! I know there are a lot of fancy mushrooms on the market these days but for this recipe I just used what my local Publix had on sale, which was, plain, ol’ white mushrooms!)
Liquid Smoke
Minced Garlic - (we like these jarred options from Spice World!)
BBQ Sauce - (Buy or make your own!)
Cole Slaw Mix (this is another reason why this recipe is so easy…I simple bought the pre-shredded slaw mix from the produce section and made my own dressing!)
Vegan Mayo - I have really been into the egg-free option that Hellman's has these days!)
White Wine Vinegar
Maple Syrup
Mustard
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Burger Buns (Sara Lee has great dairy-free options)
What you are going to need to do:
The main part of this recipe and, dare I say, the only really skill needed to make it much of a success is slicing the mushrooms! I order for this recipe to really mimic the texture of pulled pork you want to slice your mushrooms as thin as possible.
I actually bough the pre-sliced white mushrooms and then took the individual slices and cut them into tiny “sticks” - think like the thickness of a tine on a fork. It takes a bit of time, but it’s worth it…and it’s still less time than the 8 hours it takes to make traditional pulled pork!
Once your mushrooms are all sliced, we are going to saute them in a medium skillet, with minced garlic and a few splashes of liquid smoke until they are cooked down and soft.
Be careful here! Because you cut them so thin, you’ll need to be a little on the gentle side when stiring them in the pan!
Once the mushrooms are cooked, simply add your favorite bbq sauce and let simmer for another 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the sauce.
Onto the Coleslaw!
In my world, there is simply no other way to eat this sandwich than with it being topped with slaw!
Like i said, above, I buy the prepackaged coleslaw mix that has the shredded cabbage and carrots all ready to go, but feel free to shred your own!
For the dressing we are going to mix:
1 cup of vegan mayo
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoons of mustard, depending on how much you like mustard
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
Salt and pepper, to taste.
In my experience this is going to make enough dressing for one bag of coleslaw…(4 servings)
Toss your shredded cabbage and carrots with the slaw dressing and park in the fridge for 20 minutes or so! You can even make this the night before!
The Assembly!
Bun
Mushroom “Pulled Pork”
Coleslaw
Bun.
It really is that easy! Some people I know top theirs with potato chips, fresh sliced or caramelized onions, melted cheese, homemade pickles, and even pickled jalapeños! We served them with some grilled street corn and baked beans! Does it get any more “summer” than that?
Enjoy!