BBQ pulled shrooms and beans

I am not one for fake meats, vegan versions of chicken nuggets and ‘vegan cheeze’. They just taste too funky and as someone who isn’t vegan (or vegetarian even) the concept of cheese which isn’t, when I would much happier delve into a chunk of cheddar, it just doesn’t register.

Saying that it seems these sorts of dishes are popping up on menus as the majority of the public are becoming aware of meat consumption and its effects on the environment. One in particular I’m spying on my Instagram feed is the jackfruit. Said to be the contender to pulled pork, the soft tooth-wielding and melting meat, with lashings of BBQ sauce, requires a certain hunch to make sure it ends up in your mouth rather than all down your front.

Out for lunch the other day with my mum, BBQ pulled jackfruit cropped up. Piled onto some toasted sourdough with lettuce and tomato, never had I eaten it before, plus the sight of BBQ sauce made me in deep need for some of that sweet and smoky sauce. Upon arrival, due to being hungry dived in pretty swiftly, but on eating my thoughts quickly dissipated. Not enough BBQ sauce, not enough of that smoky addictive lick-your-lips-smackingly good flavour and the jackfruit, well it was ok. It had the texture of a stringy fibrous fruit, perhaps if the BBQ sauce was better it would have been a more enjoyable experience overall. I’m sad it didn’t live up to expectations, but there’s still plenty of time to experience another one.

Anyone have any tips for a good pulled jackfruit burger, and by good I mean even better than a pulled pork (I’m sure it’s highly possible) Manchester or northern England preferred, pictures of proof is good enough though!!

One day last week I was wondering what to cook for my mum and I for dinner. Fancying a baked potato because STODGE=LIFE and beans were on my mind. It’s a classic British combination baked beans on a jacket potato. You feeling the need to be truly British? try baked beans on toast with grated cheese, oh you’ve hit the jack pot. I had a quick flick through Laura Wright’s cookbook, The First Mess for some inspiration, to come across BBQ mushrooms on toast. Well I had loads of mushrooms in the fridge that needed eating, I could add some kidney beans for that baked bean vibe, and BBQ sauce. That’s what I’m looking for to satisfy that craving.

The sauce is really simple to make just a few store cupboard ingredients needed, to be left with a deeply flavoured BBQ with heaps of oomph and a little tingly spice. Feel free to stick close to the original recipe and keep it solely mushroom based just double the amount used, or skip the mushrooms entirely and use an extra tin of beans.

We have a baked bean/pulled pork hybrid going here, may as well have both if you can! For a vegetarian, or plant based eater, the mushroom is the meatiest of textures you can get without straying anywhere near to the meat substitutes. By slicing them thinly and cooking them over a high heat first so they lose their excess water and shrink down, this resembled the ‘pulled pork’ element. I served it on a baked jacket potato the first time and brown rice the second but a sweet potato, also piled onto a burger bun would be more than marvellous, just make sure to add all the fixings. Pickles, extra sauce and mustard are all necessary!

 

 

• Servings: 4
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Ingredients

• 300g mushrooms (I used large flat mushrooms), sliced very thinly
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 clove of garlic, grated
• 1/2 tsp sweet smoked (dulce) paprika, use a little more if using a paprika from the supermarket
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tin plum tomatoes, blitzed up in a blender till smooth, failing that use 400g passata
• 25 ml maple syrup
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

1. Heat some oil in a large frying on a medium high heat. When hot add the mushrooms and leave for a minute or two. Once the water starts evaporating stir them gently to move around the pan, you want to let all the water escape and make sure they don’t stew. Once the mushrooms start to sizzle and have shrunk down in size, this will take up to 5 minutes, transfer them to a plate and set aside.
2. Turn the heat down to low and add a little more oil to the pan along with the onion and garlic. Cook gently until the onion is soft and translucent, if it starts to stick add a little water.
3. Once soft add the paprika, mustard and chilli flakes stir until they start to smell fragrant and quickly add the blitzed tinned tomatoes, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and tamari. Bring to the boil and then turn down low and leave to simmer gently.
4. After around 5 minutes and once the sauce has thickened and reduced slightly add the mushrooms, stir to coat and leave to reduce for a further 5-10 minutes. Add the beans for the final few minutes.
5. You want a sauce that coats the beans and mushrooms, with enough extra to mop up with some carbzzzz. Taste for seasoning, there should be a balance of sweet, spice, salty with a little acidic kick at the end. Add extra salt, pepper, mustard or chilli if you so wish.
6. Serve over your carb of choice, a slaw on the side, some avo and extra hot sauce for shaking over liberally.

I have a feeling this recipe is going to be on repeat this autumn and winter. Today being the autumn equinox the days are slowly turning into longer, darker and cooler ones. For me that means deep bowls of soul soothing warm dishes. Preferably with some spice, hot sauce always on the side and a good bit of stodge to keep those chills at bay. I hope you enjoy this recipe a much as I did!

On a side note, it was my birthday yesterday, and this weekend I will be celebrating with all my family and friends. Of course that means lots of cake and sweet treats (brownies, blondies and bakewell tarts in my case!!), bubbles and dancing it all off till my little toes can’t stand it no more. I’ll report back next week, once I have recovered!

Till then my loves

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