King trumpet mushrooms are a stand-in for pork in this flavorful Chinese barbecue recipe.
Char siu is a Cantonese-style barbecue, made with a colorful sauce, sweet from hoisin and agave, flavored with five-spice powder, and blended with a key ingredient, bean curd paste. Made from red bean curd with added spices, you’ll find the paste online or in most Asian markets. If you like the true red color of traditional char siu, add a few drops of red food coloring. Taste and adjust the sweetener and seasoning in this sauce; not all hoisin sauces are the same. Save any leftover sauce in a lidded jar in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

King Trumpet Char Siu
King trumpet mushrooms are a stand-in for pork in this flavorful Chinese barbecue recipe.
Servings 3 people
Ingredients
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- 1⁄2 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 1⁄2 tbsp red bean curd paste
- 1⁄2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 2 tbsp honey or agave syrup
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- 1⁄2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine or mirin
- 2 or 3 drops red food coloring (optional)
- 1 tbsp grapeseed or canola oil
- 2 tbsp water
- 12 oz king trumpet mushrooms (3 or 4) cut lengthwise into1⁄3-inch-thick slices
- 2 or 3 green onions, green parts only, thinly sliced
- Cooked white rice, for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, bean curd paste, five-spice powder, honey, lime juice, sesame oil, wine, red food coloring (if using), oil, and water. Add the mushrooms and toss thoroughly to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the marinade. Grill the mushrooms, basting with the marinade occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until grill marks appear.
- Garnish with green onions and serve over white rice.
Excerpted with permission from “Mushroom Gastronomy: The Art of Cooking with Mushrooms” by Krista Towns | Copyright © 2024 Gibbs-Smith Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
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