8 Wild Mushrooms that Mimic Meat
Lobster Mushroom are a fungus that develops into this reddish orange lobster tail. It isn’t technically a mushroom, it is an edible mold that transforms milkcap and russula mushrooms into this meaty lobster form. Lobster mushrooms have a seafood smell and taste like crabs or lobster. I tend to find these mushrooms growing on the forest floor from July to early October. They often emerge covered in debris because of their concave structure that allows soil to accumulate in the the center. This can make the mushrooms difficult to clean, so make sure to take your time washing them off. When the Lobster mushrooms are healthy, they will be firm to the touch. Discard any pieces that are soft or falling apart.
I like to cook these hardy mushrooms in a lot of butter and soften them up. I substitute the mushrooms in traditional seafood recipes like lobster rolls, crabcakes and lobster mac n cheese.
Beefsteak Fungus - Beefsteak Fungus Fistulina hepatica is a unique shelf mushroom that looks similar to raw meat. These mushroom is also known as ox tongue fungus, beefsteak polypore and tongue mushroom. Beefsteak Fungus mushrooms have a inner texture that looks similar to a skirt steak, but they have a more citric, acidic taste.
Beefsteak fungus color can range from pinkish red to blood red to reddish brown. Beefsteak Fungus is a kidney shaped polypore that is soft to the touch. The underside of the mushroom has white pores that contrast with the deep red color on the top. The pores turn reddish brown as they age. The beefsteak mushrooms are often sticky and gelatinous and when you squeeze them it can ooze a dull red juice.
This mushroom grows mostly on chestnut and oak trees and tree trunks. Its early stages it'll look like a pink tongue coming out of the tree, as it matures it'll fan out into this kidney shape and turn a deep red color. I usually find this mushroom in Late Summer; as early as July and as late as September in North America.
This Beefsteak has an acidic taste with a citric sour flavor. The texture is similar to meat when you cut into this and look at the inner flesh of the mushroom it even looks like raw meat. It has creamy white marbling that looks a lot like beef. Unlike other mushroom species, Fistulina hepatica is one of the few wild mushrooms that can be eaten raw. I prefer it cooked especially with steak. It doesn't taste exactly like beef, but it is a good meat substitute.
Beefsteak Fungus "Steak" and Egg Sandwich is one of my favorite ways to cook this fungi. I often add bacon as well for a delicious breakfast sandwich. Beefsteak mushrooms also pair well with any meat especially organ meats. They are very sponge-like and can soak up a lot of flavors that are cooked in.
Beef Bouillon Bolete -(Boletus pallidoroseus) This fungus stains blue and tastes like beef stew. it is called beef boullion bolete or two colored bolete. this mushroom is edible and tastes like beef broth. the mushroom has a bright yellow and red color palette and turns blue when it's cut or bruised. This can a very difficult mushroom to identify because they are a few other boletes with the same color pattern, so this is not recommended for beginners.
Number one. This vibrant orange shelf mushroom is common in the summer months it's known as chicken of the woods because of how
similar it tastes to chicken. This polypores grow in late spring and summer and in prime condition for a week or two after fruiting. This
mushroom is one of the foolproof four and is one of the easiest mushrooms to identify in the forest. The standard chicken of the woods (Laeteporus sulphureus) is bright orange on the top and has small yellow pores on the underside. Chicken of the woods is a thick shelf mushroom with overlapping brackets the common variety grows on hardwood trees especially oak trees. White pored sulfur shelf mushroom (Laetiporus Cincinatus) isanother variant of chicken of the woods. The underside of this mushroom is white in color rather than yellow and the mushroom is a little bit more peach color than orange and tends to grow at the base of trees. All varieties of chicken of the woods taste delicious.But they can be a little dry so make sure to cook them with a lot of butter or sauce. I really like to cook them in barbecue sauce, they really soak up and absorb all the flavor. They can be used to substitute any chicken recipe.
Resinous Polypore (Ischnoderma resinosum) Steak of the Woods. this mushroom is called resinous polypore and is sometimes referred to as steak of the woods these mushrooms produce droplets of red liquid and have a slightly sweet smell. The outer White Ring of this mushroom has a meaty melt-in-your-mouth texture they have a Savory flavor that's really good especially when it's combined with an actual steak.
6. Shrimp of the woods (Entoloma abortivum) These white nuggets on the forest floor are known as shrimp of the wood. They are similar to lobster mushroom because they parasitize and transform other fungi. they're a parasitic fungi that transforms honey mushrooms into popcorn shrimp looking mushrooms. Because they are transform honey mushrooms, you will find them growing in the late summer and fall. The fungi have a shrimp like texture with a slight mushroom taste. They can be used similar to popcorn shrimp.
7. Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus) is a wonderful edible and medicinal mushroom that grows on hardwood trees. This mushroom grows on dying or dead hardwood trees and it has an affinity for oak and beach.
In the early stages, lion's mane can resemble a big marshmallow growing on the sides of trees. As it matures, the spines begin to take form. When it's fully mature the lion's mane spines will look like icicles dripping down from the mushroom. The spines can get to about three inches in length. As the mushroom starts to go bad, the spines will start to turn yellow. The spore print of this mushroom is white.
There are no poisonous look-a-likes of this mushroom. However there are three varieties of Hericium genus in this region.
Those are true Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus), Bear's Head Tooth Mushroom ( Hericium americanum) and Comb Tooth Mushroom (Hericium coralloides). Now Bear's Head Tooth is very similar to the true lion's mane, except its spines can go in different branches whereas the true Lion's Mane is more compact and it all forms from one branch the true Lion's Mane form in clusters but it doesn't branch off.
The comb tooth mushroom is the most different of the Hericium genus and it branches off even more going in different directions so when you're harvesting lion's mane you can either use your hand to slowly pull it away from the tree or you can use a knife to cut it off.
Some people argue about you know you have to cut it or you have to hand pick it, but i think it doesn't make too much of a difference because the mycelium inside the tree is still intact and no damage you're just harvesting the fruiting body.
So I've harvested it with my hand before and it grew right back. I've also harvested with my knife before and it grew right back a week later. So I don't think it makes too much of a difference in the long run.
Lion's mane is a coveted choice edible mushroom! They have a crab like texture with a slight seafood taste. They're very absorbent like a sponge and kind of soak up any flavor that's in the dish. I've made lions made into burgers, added them to pizza, and made stir fries and ramen with the mushrooms. I've also heard of people using lion's mane to make a really good crab cake.
8. Black Stained Polypore black
Black Staining Polypore (Meripilus sumstinei) is an abundant mushroom that often grows at the base of trees. These mushroom clusters are found in the summer and fall months. Black Staining Polypore grows solitary or in groups around hardwood trees and stumps. This mushroom is velvety to touch and has a loose wavy structure that forms a rosette shape.
I often mistake this mushroom from maitake or Berkeley's polypore from a distance. The easiest way to distinguish Black Staining Polypore from similar mushrooms is see if the mushroom bruises. This mushroom starts off a light beige color, but turns brownish- black after it is cut or bruised.
This mushroom has a reputation for being tough and chewy, but the newer growth of the mushroom is more soft and tender. I'm fairly selective and try to choose the softest parts of the mushroom.
I like to cook a pulled pork style sandwich with these black stained poly pores. The first step is to cook some onions in butter. Next I need to separate the mushroom into little strands to have the pulled pork texture and to make sure the mushroom is not too chewy in every bite. This mushroom readily absorbs the flavor of whatever you add to it, so I'm combining it with some barbecue sauce. The flavor of this dish was remarkably similar to pulled pork. The major difference being how chewy it is! This mushroom will give your jaws a workout!
Chicken of the woods Toxic look a likes: These poisonous mushrooms are known as jack-o-lanterns for their bioluminescent properties. These toxic fungi grow at the base of stumps roots and trees these mushrooms have true gills and this mushroom also glows in the dark which is really cool these mushrooms are poisonous to eat, but you can touch them if you want to.
It is referred to only by it's Latin name Hapalopilus croceus. This bright orange blob forms on hardwood trees and resembles the nickelodeon logo. As it matures, it becomes dark orange to brownish color. The edibility of this mushroom is unknown; potentially deadly poisonous.
