I am a Master Gardener with the Rapidan River Master Gardeners.  Next March, we hold an all day "Garden Symposium" with speakers.  It is our main fund-raiser for a two year period.  I am in charge this year and really, really hope we can get 200 attendees.

We are in the beginning stages of planning and are going to do pulled pork sandwiches for lunch with salads and dessert. Being the South, I don't have to worry too much about how pulled pork will be received.  Bent is going to cook all our pulled pork, so I don't have to worry about that.  However, I know that we will have some vegetarians and I need to offer an alternative to pulled pork.

I like the idea of it being something on a bun so that it seems similar to the pork.  All I can come up with is Portobello mushrooms.  I know Bentley could easily grill those.  But 2 questions:

1.  Do you all have any other (easy and somewhat inexpensive) ideas for a vegetarian option ?

2.  Do you have any recipes for Portabello mushroom burgers -- i.e. marinades, sauces, etc.

Thanks.

it's not really an alternative to pulled pork but is an alternative if your looking for something different- Years ago my son came up with pizza-bello's,
1. Rinse and thoroughly dry Portobello mushrooms
2. Grill Mushrooms gill side down until mushroom starts to soften.
3. In the gill cavity use a Tsp of Marinara or Pizza Sauce that meets vegitarian/vegan requirements.
4. Top sauce with Vegetarian or Vegan meat substitute or other vegies (Think a margerite pizza)
5. Top with Vegetarian/Vegan Cheese
6. place back on grill till cheese melts and mushroom is softened, some people like a little more structure to their mushrooms so reduce time to allow mushroom to be firmer,

 

I am a Master Gardener with the Rapidan River Master Gardeners.  Next March, we hold an all day "Garden Symposium" with speakers.  It is our main fund-raiser for a two year period.  I am in charge this year and really, really hope we can get 200 attendees.

We are in the beginning stages of planning and are going to do pulled pork sandwiches for lunch with salads and dessert. Being the South, I don't have to worry too much about how pulled pork will be received.  Bent is going to cook all our pulled pork, so I don't have to worry about that.  However, I know that we will have some vegetarians and I need to offer an alternative to pulled pork.

I like the idea of it being something on a bun so that it seems similar to the pork.  All I can come up with is Portobello mushrooms.  I know Bentley could easily grill those.  But 2 questions:

1.  Do you all have any other (easy and somewhat inexpensive) ideas for a vegetarian option ?

2.  Do you have any recipes for Portabello mushroom burgers -- i.e. marinades, sauces, etc.

Thanks.

For a Portobello Burger:
1. rinse and thoroughly dry mushrooms
2. grill cap side down first till mushroom starts to soften.
3. turn mushroom over and grill gill side down till it starts to soften
4. At this point you can use a Vegie/Vegan friendly BBQ Sauce just put a TSP full in the Gill Cavity and Top with Veggie/Vegan Friendly Cheese.
5. you can add lettuce, tomato and pickle

Kristen, are you asking for something that has the consistency and mouth feel/taste of pulled pork?

If so... why?

Why not make up a largish bowl of salad? Heck, you could even do 2-3 of varying nationality influences.

Kristen, are you asking for something that has the consistency and mouth feel/taste of pulled pork?

If so... why?

Why not make up a largish bowl of salad? Heck, you could even do 2-3 of varying nationality influences.

No, not the mouth feel.  I was looking for something that either might go on a bun or look somewhat the same in size as a pulled pork. And it has to be individual servings because anyone who signs up for a veg meal will get a ticket so that they can be given their veg whatever and then get the salad and desserts the others are getting.  And the meal is somewhat set because it is being catered through the Fire Dept Auxilary that we belong to, so a pretty set menu with a set price.

The reason I was hoping for something similar in shape to the pulled pork sandwich is I don't want some folks to have something like, say veg lasagna, and then have a bunch of others saying "Well, why am I not getting lasagna.'  I like the idea of the portobello pizzas because they would look somewhat similar in shape size to the pulled pork.

Could you make a grilled veggie sandwich with large pieces of sauteed peppers, onions, squash, etc. and pile it high on a bun?

I decide to go with RR49's portobello pizzas.  Just a small modification -- mushroom, sauce, cheese, not going to add any meat substitute.  We have 116 coming and 31 want vegetarian instead of pulled pork -- oh my goodness, what has happened to the South!!!

Final shopping today and then I will grill and prep the mushrooms tomorrow.  I think we will cook them on Friday so that they can just be reheated Sat morning before serving.  Thanks RR49 for the great suggestion!

Not sure how well they will do reheated (mushroom pizzas).  You may want to test that in advance if possible.  If they have a kitchen where you are serving, you may want to make them fresh.

I haven't tried it, but I do remember coming across mention of Jackfruit a number of times when researching dishes I might try for my veggie friends. It appears to have a capability to be pulled into fibres.

I've never tried it, simply because I have never come across jackfruit over here.

Doing a simple google search on "jackfruit pulled pork" should yield some recipes/instructions.

I know that I'm late with this but for future use–

Cooked Jackfruit is similar to pulled pork.

Quorn is a commercially available mushroom product that at one time was thought to be the answer to world hunger.  Interest has declined, perhaps due to the discovery that as high as 10% of the population may have an allergic reaction.

Whole Foods sells products from Beyond Meat, a Los Angeles company that specializes in meat substitutes.

There are several veggie burger products.  The most popular one may be Boca Burger.