thoughts on mushrooms as meat substitute.

[mopinko]

had a long convo about my farm over the weekend, and someone suggested to me that if i could make a dehydrated mushroom that tasted like pepperoni, i could be rich. lol.

but srsly, there is apparently a great deal of interest in kosher meat alternatives for pizza.
anybody have any thoughts on this?

[C_U_L8R]

1. We make mushroom meat all the time

Mushroom bacon. Mushroom taco meat. Mushroom croquettes. Mushroom pepperoni? Definitely interested

[flamin lib]

5. So ok, a little more info?

Better yet some how to and recipes.

[C_U_L8R]

9. We wing it a lot. Here's some starter thoughts...

A lot of times it's just a matter of substituting mushroom for meat.
For instance, you can cut up some Lions Mane into 1/2 inch thick slices
and sauté with some garlic, olive oil and poultry spices.
Cook em until lightly browned and voila... chicken.

For tacos, just coarsely chop up a variety of mushrooms
(shitake, baby bella, etc) and cook up with onions and
taco spices (like any traditional taco meat recipe).

And here's a pretty good mushroom bacon recipe...
https://www.homegrownprovisions.com/how-to-make-vegan-shiitake-bacon/
They won't fool you on their own but they're pretty tasty in a BLT
or as bacon bits on a potato or on top of a salad.

[flamin lib]

13. Thanks! That's a great start for me. nt

[samnsara]

2. ooooooo shrooms and veal are the two things that will never touch my lips ( ok organ meat too)..

....but judging from my long history with them (picking them out of pizza, spaghetti etc) I can attest that the texture of them would probably do very well as a meat substitute.

[stonecutter357]

3. Mushroom roux is the base for most of my soups .

[pnwest]

4. One of my favorites right now is

thick slices of portobello caps, panko breaded and pan fried. Gives the satisfaction of really biting into something meaty like a chicken finger (I am full-on carnivore, mind you, just looking to eat lighter sometimes). I use sautéed mushrooms as meat alternative- not substitute- for lots of dishes. My morning egg scramble, pasta sauce, and even pizza. Mushrooms absorb flavors so well, they are great as a meat alternative. I’ve even done a full portobello mushroom cap as a burger on a bun with burger fixings. Sautéed in butter, garlic, salt, pepper and smoked paprika, topped with pepper jack cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato- DELICIOUS! The key to substitutes like this is to taste it for what it is, and not expect it to taste like meat.

So, as a pepperoni alternative, maybe experiment with a stalk mushroom, like King Trumpets, sliced thin-ish, sautéed in pepperoni spices...? I’d bet they’d be great on a pie!

[mopinko]

6. hoping to use something that i cultivate.

i am trying hard to get some chops for shrooms.
i have tried to grow a few. shitaki did well for me, and oysters and wine caps were ok.

not sure what pepperoni spices are, exactly. garlic, and?

[pnwest]

10. Red pepper flakes...prolly have to google the rest...

[trof]

15. You can start with this link to homemade pepperoni.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/homemade-pepperoni-recipe-1808542

[gibraltar72]

7. Yes.

[applegrove]

8. Marinated artichoke hearts are good on pizza. Not tons. But then go well

with the sauce and herbs and cheese.

[WheelWalker]

11. I can only eat so many mushrooms before I'm distracted by colors and trails.

It's a natural cutoff point. But dried, they do have a seductive, chewy texture and smoky flavor.

[luvs2sing]

12. I make shiitake bacon occasionally.

It’s not the real thing, but it’s damn tasty on its own.

[Phentex]

14. It's already being done...VIDEO...and I'm not sure about getting rich...

There are already veggie pepperoni on the market that are pretty decent but not something I'd buy all the time. If you google vegan pepperoni, you'll see many varieties that aren't just from mushrooms.

Here's one made from mushrooms:

[trof]

16. That looks good.

[mopinko]

17. yeah, my tongue was pretty firmly in cheek, tho his wasnt.

but part of the idea was something that wasnt a big manufacturing thing, but a simple dried shroom that was perfect for kosher pizza.
i could see how a niche kosher product could be gravy.
plus small food, local production, yada yada.
guy is def a dreamer, but i love dreamers.

this whole thing started because one of the best kosher delis in chi is at the end of my block.