One small step for man, one giant leap for Intern: Pulled Pork Portabellas
Intern Christian returns with his latest mushroom eating experience. Not only is he taking his experimentation to a higher level of mushroom flavouring, but he also brings to the table a recipe of his very own.
This week I decided to really step out of my comfort zone. I have jumped right ahead from blending with ground meat, all the way to grilled portabellas! Pulled Pork is a popular meal in our home because of its simplicity, set it in the crockpot before work, and dinner is basically ready when you get home. So I thought about all of the stuffed portabellas and portabella pizzas that I have seen online and figured, “Hey, why not Pulled Pork?”
First-thing’s-first, you need to get your pulled pork going. I usually like to whip up a dry rub consisting of paprika, garlic salt, onion powder, and just a touch of cayenne and chili powder. Rub on your spices and then throw your pork in the crockpot on low with sliced onions and about half a cup of water in the bottom for the day. Pull the meat apart when you get home and throw it back in the crockpot with your favourite BBQ sauce.
Now, on to the Ports! After de-stemming, rinsing and patting dry, I gave them a very light spray of olive oil Pam, as well as a light salting. I put them on the top rack of the BBQ on medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes per side, then move them to the bottom rack for about 5 minutes total.
The Result:
I am a person that is very big on texture. For me, being new to mushrooms, the texture of the portabellas in combination with the pork was not my favourite. The flavour, however, was very good. The pork being the primary focus of flavour, along with the light and nutty taste of the ports complimenting in the background. My fiancée, who is a big fan of mushrooms, was very much a fan of this recipe and even enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day!
All in all, I would say that this recipe was a success. I brought to the dinner table a meal that a family can enjoy, is reheat friendly AND was another step towards becoming a fan of mushrooms. I think that the main element for me in future will be overcoming, or mitigating my texture intolerance.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my latest mushroom adventure and maybe you feel inclined to try my recipe or are inspired to create something new out of inspiration!
Until next time,
Christian
If you enjoyed this blog written by Christian, you can check out the previous blog in his series here.
