Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill

A mother and daughter team up in this entertaining vegan primer to produce the feel of outdoor grilling in the kitchen. Linda Meyer and her daughter Alex, founders of the Veganosity blog, write about how they missed many of the meat-focused dishes they grew up on in the South and Midwest, particularly barbecue. To their surprise, they found they were able to replicate many of the cuisine’s quintessential dishes in their kitchen, sharing over 70 of them here. Jackfruit proves to be a reliable textural stand-in for meat in barbecue classics like beer-braised pulled pork, Texas barbecue brisket, and a classic short ribs, while tofu handles the heavy lifting in boneless buffalo wings and Steak on a Stick, a riff on grilled kebabs. A few substitutions, like button mushrooms in lieu of scallops, are a bit of a stretch, and some home cooks might not want to whip up their own seitan for BBQ Jerk Chik’n, but most of the recipes work as intended and come together with a minimum of fuss. The duo also succeeds when they’re not trying to replicate meat: mushroom burgers with horseradish pesto, and a barbecue baked beans made in a skillet will resonate with vegans and omnivores alike. Those new to vegan cooking will appreciate the Meyers’ straightforward approach as well as their emphasis on practical vegan fare. (Mar.)