It’s First in the Pot
In a lot of Puerto Rican cooking, jamón de cocinar (cooking ham) is the first thing that goes into the pot. It hits the oil before the rest of the sofrito components and sets the base. Older recipes often call for tocino, salted pork fat, used the same way. Jamón de cocinar is almost never used as the main protein, but as a layer of flavor that carries through rice dishes, beans, and stews. In this meatless version, king oyster mushrooms are roasted until browned and a little dry, then finished with smoky and savory spices so that they do the same job.
Ingredients
1 pound king oyster mushrooms, trimmed
2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as avocado or grapeseed)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 drops liquid smoke
2 tablespoons mushroom powder or nutritional yeast
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Slice the king oyster mushrooms into rough 2-inch chunks. If they’re thick, halve or quarter them lengthwise to create a mix of flat sides and edges.
3. Toss the mushrooms with the neutral oil and a good pinch of salt. Spread in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once, until deeply browned, slightly shrunken, and dry at the edges.
4. In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, and liquid smoke.
5. While still warm, add the mushrooms to the bowl and toss well so they absorb the seasoned oil.
6. Sprinkle in the mushroom powder or nutritional yeast and toss until evenly coated. Taste and adjust salt.
7. Use it just like jamón. Start this in a pan with a little oil and let it sizzle for a minute before building your sofrito. This will keep in the refrigerator covered tightly for up to 5 days.
César Pérez is a chef, recipe developer, and sometimes food writer from New York City. Raised in Brooklyn, he cooks through a Puerto Rican lens, drawing naturally on the ingredients and influences that surround him.
