The other day I decided to smoke some mushrooms. Not just any mushrooms.
I first went to the local grocery store to pick up some good sized mushrooms, some spray butter and Havarti cheese. I then stopped at my local specialty store to obtain some Hickory and Apple wood and some Chipotle seasoning.
I went home to make some of the most delectable mushrooms ever. After cleaning the mushrooms, I simply snapped out the stems. This is very easy if you snap them out quickly. I held the mushroom in the palm of one hand and then pushed the stem to one side or the other with fingers from my other hand.
Then I sprayed the mushrooms with the butter to create a base on which to hold the seasoning. After the Chipotle seasoning was applied on the inside and outside of the mushrooms, I inserted ¾ by ¾ inch pieces of the Havarti cheese in the cavity. All of my mushrooms were put onto an open cookie sheet for quick selection when putting them in the smoker.
I fired up my Weber smoker with lump charcoal and brought it up to my desired temperature of 225 degrees. I placed my mushrooms on the grate, placed my hickory and apple chunks into my fire box, closed the lid and let them begin to smoke.
It didn’t take but 12 minutes at 225 degrees and I was able to pull out some very delectable and savory mushrooms. They still had some crunch to them, they were hot and the cheese had melted quite nicely in the stem cavity. The flavor was phenomenal! What a great appetizer and it really doesn’t take that long. And, with a decent sized smoker, you can make a lot of them.
Where did I get this recipe? Well, it was during a barbeque event that I attended. I tasted some very awesome mushrooms, too good to not ask how they were made. The barbeque cook was more than willing to share his recipe. Not all, but many barbeque cooks, will share their recipes with you if you just ask. They get a kick out of helping even the most novice of cooks get started in the world of barbeque. This is how barbeque is taking over the country. The sharing of recipes and the pure joy of the cooking experience.
Where can you get recipes? This question comes up from time to time. Answers can come from barbeque recipe books, a lot of expensive trial and error or, most generally, by talking to expert BBQ cooks or other knowledgeable folks in the art of smoking and barbequing. For example, ask personnel in specialty stores that have the supplies you need once you determine what it is you would like to cook. They have the rubs, supplies and woods that big box stores or local grocery stores do not. They also have a network of barbequers willing to share secrets and they have practical experience and recipes to share as well.
Let the chase for new, unusual, fun and great recipes begin!
