It’s no secret that I love to grill! I’d venture to guess that I grill 5-6 days per week from Spring to Fall. From beef ribs, to hard cider chicken, to jalapeno poppers, to grilled eggplant to grilled peach and tomato panzanella – I love that charred flavor the grill brings. I even made my own barbecue rub as favors for my wedding last year.
But, after 11 years, my Weber gas grill recently bit the dust. After months and months of researching smokers, grills, and smoker-grill combos, to see which would be the best fit for my husband and I, I found an incredible deal on an electric Cuisinart smoker and so the decision was made for me.
We also got a Weber Spirit gas grill to complement the smoker, because as great as smokers are, there is a lot to be said about being able to cook quickly at a higher temperature for applications where you want to sear things like burgers, steaks, vegetables, etc. While I do love grilling with charcoal, I’m just not patient enough, and like that you can get a gas grill going so quickly.
I’ve spent the last few weeks smoking and grilling all sorts of delicious things on my deck including beef ribs, chicken thighs, a whole chicken, and sausages, but my most exciting experiment was smoking oyster mushrooms.
One of our chefs at The Chopping Block, Josh Almanza, has a mushroom business (The Frugal Fungi) where he grows his own mushrooms. Luckily for those of us that work with him, he graciously shares lots of delicious mushrooms with us, so it’s really helped upped my mushroom game in the kitchen. Oyster mushrooms are packed with vitamins and antioxidants!
I smoked the oyster mushrooms, finished them with barbeque sauce on the grill, shredded them, and packed them into a roll with a slaw full of herbs from my deck, avocado, and chili crunch. Momofuku Chili Crunch, by the way, is my favorite condiment of all time. I keep at least 3 jars of this on hand at all times, but the extra spicy and truffle are my favorites.
The mushrooms were definitely the star of the sandwich, and I can honestly say I didn’t miss the meat. The mushrooms were just as delicious, maybe even more so! Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, or the biggest meat eater, I recommend trying out these smoked oyster mushrooms. They would also be fabulous on a flatbread or as a side dish for any grilled meal. You might even convert the mushroom haters in your life (we all know at least one)!
Smoked BBQ Oyster Mushroom Sandwich with Herby Slaw, Avocado, and Chili Crunch
Servings: 2
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
1.5 pounds oyster mushrooms
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup your favorite BBQ seasoning (I use a mixture of salt, pepper, granulated sugar, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, and chili powder.)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
2 rolls
1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
2 cups cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons fresh chives, minced
2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons Momofuku Chili Crunch (this is my favorite condiment – EVER)
1. Drizzle mushrooms with grapeseed oil and season with barbecue rub.
2. Smoke mushrooms at 225-250 for until cooked and starting to brown, about 45 min.
3. Brush smoked mushrooms with barbecue sauce and place on a rack on your grill for indirect cooking for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce has glazed nicely.
4. While the mushrooms are finishing on the grill mix together the cabbage, carrot, red onion, basil, and chives in a medium bowl.
5. In a small bowl, to make the slaw dressing, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, chili powder, salt and pepper.
6. Add dressing to bowl with vegetables.
7. When the mushrooms are done, cut off the thicker stems. Shred or slice the mushrooms.
8. Build your sandwich with the mushrooms, sliced avocado, slaw and chili crunch. Enjoy!
If this smoked mushroom sandwich has you ready to get smoking and grilling, be sure to join us for an upcoming patio class at Lincoln Square:
- Hands-On Grilling Boot Camp Saturday, July 30 10am
- Hands-On Rendezvous Under the Stars Thursday, August 4 6pm
- Hands-On Summer in the City Friday, August 5 6pm
- Hands-On Seafood on the Grill Saturday, August 6 11am
- Hands-On Pizza on the Grill Sunday, August 7 11am
If you haven’t checked out our new retail space yet, it’s absolutely beautiful, and we would love to have you visit! We have a fantastic wine selection that makes us the perfect stop on your way to dinner or a party. We are open Wednesday through Sunday.
Smoked BBQ Oyster Mushroom Sandwich with Herby Slaw, Avocado, and Chili Crunch
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds oyster mushrooms
- 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
- 1/4 cup your favorite BBQ seasoning (I use a mixture of salt, pepper, granulated sugar, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, and chili powder.)
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 rolls
- 1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
- 2 cups cabbage, shredded
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chives, minced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons Momofuku Chili Crunch
Instructions
- Drizzle mushrooms with grapeseed oil and season with barbecue rub.
- Smoke mushrooms at 225-250 for until cooked and starting to brown, about 45 min.
- Brush smoked mushrooms with barbecue sauce and place on a rack on your grill for indirect cooking for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce has glazed nicely.
- While the mushrooms are finishing on the grill mix together the cabbage, carrot, red onion, basil, and chives in a medium bowl.
- In a small bowl, to make the slaw dressing, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, chili powder, salt and pepper.
- Add dressing to bowl with vegetables.
- When the mushrooms are done, cut off the thicker stems. Shred or slice the mushrooms.
- Build your sandwich with the mushrooms, sliced avocado, slaw, and chili crunch. Enjoy!
