# How do I get portobello mushrooms to taste like beef? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 31, 2002, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459 "2002-08-31T17:26:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Osbie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Osbie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osbie)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/1 "2002-08-31T17:26:31Z")
Do any of you culinary Dopers have a clue? I’ve had them as an appetizer before - I believe they were grilled. Man, they were good! How might one go about preparing these? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/2 "2002-08-31T17:33:24Z")
Simple. First take them gently in your hand, carry them to the other side of the kitchen and throw those chunks of fungus in the trash can and have a friggin’ cheesburger. If you want something that tastes like beef … try beef. (mushrooms make me hurl) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Osbie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Osbie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osbie)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/3 "2002-08-31T17:41:08Z")
Thanks! I’ll try that! ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/4 "2002-08-31T17:46:09Z")
Mushrooms stuffed with beef taste like beef. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/5 "2002-08-31T18:00:54Z")
I would think it would be both the proper marinade and the cooking method. The marinade would have to include salty things like soy sauce, perhaps Worcestershire sauce, even a dash of A1 or something to that effect. This is just off the top of my head, but I’m good at reverse-engineering dishes I’ve had in restaurants. Google is your friend. Let’s place bets on how long it takes for a mod to teleport this thread to CS… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Spooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spooky)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/6 "2002-08-31T18:51:26Z")
My favorite way to cook portabella 'shrooms is to marinate them for a while in a mixture of balsamic vinegar, oil, salt 'n pepper, and a touch of sugar. Then you can grill or fry them. Put them on a sandwich with some caramelized onions. Delish! ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/7 "2002-08-31T19:11:33Z")
I’ve gotta go with **Jack Batty**. Every time I’ve had a “tastes just like beef” portobello, it hasn’t. It tasted like a mushroom. I’m fully convinced that people who think it’s beef like don’t eat a lot of beef, or have very dulled taste buds. So, while I’m sure you can make them taste good, they’re not going to taste like beef. ---
**Author:** ![Abe\_Babe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Abe\_Babe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abe_Babe)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/8 "2002-08-31T19:13:45Z")
I use a simple marinade of olive oil, italian herb seasoning, and a citrus juice and grill them like a burger. Nummy. I also would think that a steak sauce would lend the taste of beef, but that’s too strong for my tastes. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/9 "2002-08-31T19:18:19Z")
Just a guess, because I’ve never tried it, but perhaps grilling them alongside some real beef might help. ---
**Author:** ![truthbot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@truthbot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthbot)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/10 "2002-08-31T19:25:35Z")
My favorite method for grilling Portabellas: Maranite them in Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce. Then grill. Spooky’s and Abe’s marinades sound great, too. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/11 "2002-08-31T19:53:49Z")
Why would you want your glorius mushroom to taste like rotting flesh? Make a good marinade and have a portobello that tastes like a portobello. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/12 "2002-08-31T23:58:34Z")
Try [Nigella Lawson’s Hot Mushroom Sandwich](http://food.hubcom.net/cgi-win/recipe.exe?3%242%240%2461%24775) - it really is rather good. Get some freshly-ground black pepper on there too. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/13 "2002-09-01T05:09:31Z")
WAG: use a marinade that has a base of beef stock. ---
**Author:** ![Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/14 "2002-09-01T05:49:36Z")
You could always feed them to a cow, wait a few days, allowing for proper digestion, and all, then… [sub]Nevermind[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/15 "2002-09-01T07:49:18Z")
You could always marinate them in beef blood! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/16 "2002-09-01T10:42:41Z")
WAG: Perhaps you could add a bit of that “liquid smoke” stuff that is sold to the marinade. I don’t know how strictly veggie you want to go, but another poster’s idea of using beef broth in the marinade could help. In that case, I’d suggest an olive oil-based marinade, with balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, a bit of beef broth, minced garlic, pepper (better yet, “steak” pepper, or lemon pepper), and a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce. Grilling next to thick slices of Spanish onions would be nice. Let us know how it goes. And again, Google is your friend. **scott evil** takes pride in the fact that he didn’t respond with a snarky answer. ---
**Author:** ![Squish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Squish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squish)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/17 "2002-09-01T10:50:26Z")
I eat a lot of beef, and I will say that Portobello mushrooms have a “meaty” taste, but that they do not taste _like_ beef. Me, I just slice them into thick slices, fry them in butter with salt and pepper, add cooked rice and soy sauce. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![Dekel\_Borak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac8455/32.png) [@Dekel\_Borak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dekel_Borak)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/18 "2002-09-02T23:26:56Z")
While it may help to grill them with beef, or on a grill that has grilled beef, or near a grill that grills beef, or near the stockyards, in my experience, simply grilling them does the trick. The taste is built in. No marinade is necessary. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/19 "2002-09-03T06:36:36Z")
I brush them with olive oil just before I put them on the grill. Then baste them with either teriyaki sauce or italian salad dressing (my favorite: Good Seasons Garlic ‘N’ Herb mix made with red wine vinegar). Dale’s Sauce combined with melted butter is a good baste too. For the steak sandwich effect, I serve them on toasted sub rolls (spread with mustard) with grilled onion slices, hot banana pepper slices, and a good steak sauce. Maybe a slice of swiss cheese if you’re inclined. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-portobello-mushrooms-to-taste-like-beef/126459/20 "2002-09-03T11:42:53Z")
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