Maitake “Carnitas” Tacos with Avocado Crema

Maitake mushrooms, with their feathery texture, transform into shreds for tacos. Simmer them down in flavorful beer and citrus, then crisp them up with a little brown sugar.

What You Get

Maitake mushrooms

Orange

Adobo seasoning

Shallot or spring onion

Cilantro

Lime

Black beans 

Tortillas

Avocado crema

What You’ll Need

Beer (optional)

Olive oil

Salt

Soy sauce

Brown sugar

Hot sauce (optional)

Makes 3 servings

Active Time: 20 minutes 

Total Time: 30 minutes 

Step 1

Separate the mushrooms into bite-size pieces. In a sauté pan over medium heat, combine the mushrooms, 1 cup of beer or water, the juice of the orange, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons of the adobo seasoning, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, turn down the heat to maintain, cover partially with a lid, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid has mostly evaporated, about 20 minutes.

Step 2

Remove the lid, turn up the heat to medium-high, and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon firmly packed brown sugar. Sauté until crispy at the edges, 5 minutes longer. Season with salt to taste. 

Step 3

Meanwhile, finely chop about ½ shallot. Pick the cilantro, toss the stems, and chop the leaves. In a small bowl, combine equal parts shallot and cilantro, and drizzle with the juice of ½ lime. Cut the remaining lime into wedges for serving.

Step 4

In a small saucepan over medium heat, reheat the black beans with a splash of water, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Step 5

To warm the tortillas, in a dry pan over medium-high heat, flash the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side. Wrap them in a clean towel to steam through and keep warm.

Step 6

To build the tacos, place the tortillas on plates, doubling up, if you like. Fill with the mushrooms and the shallot-cilantro mixture, dollop with the avocado crema, and squeeze with lime. Serve warm, with the beans on the side, and hot sauce, if you want a kick.

Contains: milk.