This vegan recipe will make you never miss pulled pork again

This recipe is the answer to questions you didn’t even know you had, says Joe Yonan

Does it taste exactly like pulled pork? No, but that’s OK (Scott Suchman/The Washington Post)

Towards the end of the introduction to her new cookbook, Miyoko Schinner writes what might be the best comeback I’ve read to a frequent question: “Why would a vegan or vegetarian want to eat something that reminds them of meat?” I often find the question annoying because it is so often asked with a “gotcha!” attitude that reveals much about the person asking.

Schinner’s answer: “The truth is that we just want something substantive that’s chewy, tasty and succulent. I don’t think most people – vegan or even omnivore – care if it tastes exactly like meat; they just want something to bite into with a lot of flavour.”

Founder of the vegan cheese and butter company Miyoko’s Creamery, Schinner wrote The Vegan Meat Cookbook partly as a response to the new wave of commercially available meat alternatives, including the so-called tech meats introduced by Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. She notes that some of them have justifiably drawn fire for including “mysterious, often unpronounceable ingredients, leaving some people questioning how truly healthy or ‘natural’ they are”. But she also defends them as better than “cholesterol-and-hormone-laden” animal flesh, adding that at this “critical point in history … we must think beyond our individual health to consider that of the planet and animals, both domestic and wild.”

Schinner’s book includes plenty of recipes that use such products. But I was more interested in recipes for her own DIY meat alternatives, since she uses non-mysterious, easily pronounceable ingredients in them. And given that I’m such a fan of mushrooms, I was happy to see so many of her strategies put them to delicious-looking use.

My favorite recipe so far uses one of the biggest mushrooms around – the king oyster – to stand in for pulled pork. But in this case, you pull the mushrooms, shredding them with a fork, before you cook them, rather than after. Then you toss them in a fairly simple marinade of soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup and smoked paprika to infuse smoky, sweet, salty and umami flavours, before browning them in a frying pan. They turn into an element you’ll want to use in tacos, burritos, sandwiches, salads and grain bowls, making this recipe the answer to questions you didn’t even know you had.

Does it taste like pulled pork? Nope, and that’s perfectly fine, because it might just taste like one of the best mushroom dishes ever.

Pulled king oyster mushrooms

You’ll want to throw this in your tacos, burritos, sandwiches, salads and grain bowls (Scott Suchman/The Washington Post)

Total time: 30 mins

Makes: 4 servings

Storage: The mushrooms can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Reheat in a hot frying pan.

Ingredients

450g king oyster mushrooms

3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp smoked paprika

Pinch fine sea salt (optional)

Method

1. Pull the tines of a fork down the length of each mushroom to shred it, breaking up the head with your fingers, if needed.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the maple syrup and smoked paprika. Add the mushrooms and toss well to coat.

3. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they release their liquid, it evaporates and they start to brown and stick, 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Recipe adapted from ‘The Vegan Meat Cookbook’ by Miyoko Schinner (Ten Speed Press, 2021).