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A hamburger bun with coleslaw and mushrooms prepared in the style of pulled pork.

Barbecue Pulled Mushroom Sandwiches

Bri Beaudoin's vegetarian version of a classic pulled pork sandwich, made with King Oyster mushrooms and plenty of slaw.
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Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course, sandwich
Cuisine American, Canadian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

Date Barbecue Sauce

  • ⅔ cup water
  • ¼ cup firmly packed pitted Medjool dates
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tamari
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp smoked sweet paprika
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Slaw

  • 1½ cups shredded green cabbage
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise more for serving
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
  • 2 scallions
  • fine sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Seared Mushrooms

  • 1 lb (454 g) trumpet (king oyster) mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp grapeseed oil

To Serve

  • 4 brioche buns or other soft buns, sliced in half horizontally and lightly buttered

Instructions
 

  • In a small saucepan, combine the water, dates, tomato paste, tamari, apple cider vinegar, grapeseed oil, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Cover with a lid and simmer over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes for the flavours to meld. Transfer the mixture to a high-speed blender and add the lemon juice. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the cabbage, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar and grainy Dijon mustard. Toss until the cabbage is evenly coated. Stir in the scallions. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Cut the caps off the mushrooms and slice them as thinly as possible. Rake a fork down the mushroom stems to shred them, like this:
  • In your largest skillet, heat the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, scatter the prepared mushrooms into the skillet and sear, undisturbed, until golden brown on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown all over, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Let the skillet cool down slightly (about 1 minute), then pour the barbecue sauce over the mushrooms. Toss to coat, then cook for 1 to 2 minutes to let the mushrooms absorb some of the sauce.
  • Place an oven rack in the centre position and preheat to 300°F (150°C). Place the buns on a baking sheet and bake until warm but still soft, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Spread the mayonnaise on the top and bottom halves of the buns. Divide the mushrooms and slaw evenly among the bottom halves, then finish the sandwiches with the tops. Serve hot with plenty of napkins.