Vegetarian Char Siew Lions Mane Mushroom
This vegan char siu is so similar to pork char siu you’ll have to remind yourself that its 100% plant based.
Lions mane mushroom makes for an incredible meat like steak. When cooked to perfection by searing, pressing and marinating it gives the meatiest texture.
This recipe includes a char siu sauce just like takeout.
The meat like mushroom coated in the delicious Chinese bbq sauce is a great addition to a Chinese food feast.
How to cook lions mane mushroom
The best method for the meatiest texture is to sear and press the mushroom to release all of the water. Then to marinate, pan fry or bake depending on the dish.
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Why you should try this lions mane mushroom recipe
Realistic – Lions mane mushroom has an incredibly meaty texture making it perfect for this meaty type dish and great to impress the meat eaters in your life.
Takeaway flavour - The homemade char siu sauce is just like takeout char siu sauce. Also many shop bought sauces have honey so best to make your own.
Easy- Once you get the hang of preparing the lions mane mushroom perfectly this dish is really easy to make.
Fun- I enjoy the art of making a vegan alternative to things I used to eat before turning vegan. Lions mane is a fairly new popular meat substitute that I am always experimenting with.
Sourcing a lions mane mushroom- Lions mane mushroom can be hard to find so if you'd like to try Char Siu but cant find a lions mane this recipe also works with tofu.
Notes on the ingredients-
- Lions mane mushroom- Lions mane mushroom is essential for this recipe. I buy mine at my local farmers market but they are also available at a few health food stores. Failing that if you want to have even more fun then you can buy a lions mane mushroom grow kit and harvest your own!
- Hoisin sauce- Shop bought hoi sin is fine or you can make your own if you fermented soy bean paste on hand. This is the base of the bbq sauce.
- Golden syrup- Golden syrup is for the sweetness of the sauce and slightly thickens it. I recommend to only substitute with agave if needed as maple syrup is too strong in flavour for this dish.
- Rice wine vinegar- Rice wine vinegar is the acidity in the sauce. You can substitute with any vinegar you like.
- Light soy sauce- Light soy sauce gives a salty element without being too heavy. Don’t substitute with dark soy as this is too rich and dark in colour.
- Chinese 5 spice- Chinese 5 spice makes this bbq sauce taste authentic like the takeout char sui so don’t skip this!
- Red food coloring- The iconic red color in char siu is achieved from food coloring. Many red food colorings have animal/insect products so make sure to buy a vegan one. Feel free to omit this but your mushroom will look browner.
How to make char siew
- Press the mushroom and fry to get a crust on each side.
- Make the sauce and brush onto the mushroom
- Bake for 40 minutes flipping and basting every 10 minutes
- Serve sliced
Q&A
Q- Where to buy lions mane mushrooms
A- Farmers markets often have a mushroom vendor. You may also find them in a health food store also.
Q- What is Char Sui
A- Char sui is the name for a Cantonese style bbq sauce glazed pork popular in Hong Kong.
Q- What is in char sui sauce?
A- Char sui sauce is made from hoi sin sauce, sugar or liquid sweetener, soy sauce, vinegar, Chinese 5 spice, and red food coloring.
Char Siu Lions mane mushroom
Ingredients
- 1 Large lions mane mushroom
- For the sauce-
- 3 tbsp Hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp Golden syrup
- 1 tbsp Rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
- ½ tsp Red food coloring
- ½ tsp White pepper
Instructions
- Heat up a pan and add your mushroom.
- Place another pan on top with a heavy object on top to squeeze the mushroom or use a spatula to squash it down.
- Keep pressing until the mushroom is a thick steak width and then flip and sear the other side.
- Once the mushroom is the right thickness and browned on each side turn off the heat and prepare the sauce.
- Mix the sauce ingredients together and brush half onto both sides of the mushroom.
- Add the mushroom to a lined baking dish and bake at 170C for 40 minutes.
- Every 10 minutes take out, flip and brush with more sauce.
- Slice up and enjoy.
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4 responses to “Vegan Char Siu- Lions Mane Mushroom”
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What temperature do you bake it…?
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Hey,
Bake on 170 C
🙂
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I keep trying to have success with the lions mane mushrooms and so far, not a lot of luck. I bought 7 ounces total, and by the time it was seared and baked, the portion size was very small. The sauce was good, but the cinnamon really came through. When they went in the oven, they weren’t completely flat; they were when they came out. What am I doing wrong?-
Hey Suzy,
Lions mane does contain quite a bit of water so when searing, pressing down on the mushroom should help to remove the liquid from inside. I use a smash burger press or something similar and push down with force to remove the water. Then unfortunately that will reduce the size of the mushroom which can’t really be helped unfortunately.
The lions mane I buy is around 8-9 oz a size that can be hard to find. If it’s something you would enjoy- may I suggest a lions mane grow kit?! A bit of fun and then you can grow them big!As for the cinnamon- 5 spice powder does contain Chinese cinnamon but different brands may have different strengths. You could reduce the amount of 5 spice or make your own blend omitting the cinnamon.
Hope this helps,
Abbie 🙂
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