AI-generated image
Mushroom tacos al pastor
Tacos al pastor de hongos: chilli-and-achiote oyster mushrooms with charred pineapple
Tacos al pastor are the night-time taco of Mexico City, born when Lebanese immigrants' spit-roasted shawarma met Mexican dried chillies: meat marinated in guajillo and achiote is stacked on a vertical spit (the trompo), shaved into small corn tortillas and finished with pineapple, onion and coriander. This vegetarian version, tacos al pastor de hongos, uses torn oyster mushrooms in the same brick-red adobo, seared hard in a hot pan until the edges crisp and char like meat cut from the trompo. Expect smoky, tangy, gently hot tacos with bursts of sweet, caramelised pineapple; serve them with salsa verde and lime wedges. Chef's tip: press the mushrooms flat with a spatula and leave them alone in a very hot pan; moving them around makes them steam and go soft instead of crisp.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the adobo
For the tacos
Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat and toast 4 dried guajillo chillies and 1 dried ancho chilli for 20–30 seconds a side, pressing them flat, until they smell fruity and turn pliable. Pull them off the moment they darken: burnt chillies make the whole adobo bitter.
2 minStep 2: Put the chillies in a bowl, cover with just-boiled water and soak for 15 minutes until soft and leathery. Use the time to prepare the mushrooms and pineapple. No guajillo or ancho? Use 2 tbsp mild chilli powder and 1 tbsp sweet paprika in the blender instead and skip the soaking.
15 minStep 3: Drain the chillies (keep 4 tbsp of the soaking water) and blend them with ⅞ oz achiote paste, ¼ cup orange juice, 2 tbsp cider vinegar, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp ground cloves and 1 tsp salt until completely smooth, adding the soaking water a spoonful at a time. It should be a thick paste, like ketchup. Push it through a sieve if you can still see bits of skin.
2 minStep 4: Tear 1 ⅓ lb oyster mushrooms into strips about 2 cm wide along the gills and toss them with the adobo until every piece is coated. Leave for 10 minutes, or overnight in the fridge for a deeper flavour.
10 minStep 5: Heat 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil in your largest heavy frying pan or cast-iron pan over a high heat until it shimmers. Add half the mushrooms in a single layer and press them down with a spatula. Cook for 3–4 minutes without stirring, until the underside is dark red-brown with crisp, slightly blackened edges.
4 minStep 6: Turn the mushrooms and cook for 2–3 minutes more, until the pan sounds like a crackle rather than a hiss: that means the liquid has gone and they are frying. Tip onto a board and repeat with the rest of 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil and mushrooms.
6 minStep 7: Cut 9 oz fresh pineapple into 1 cm pieces and cook them in the same hot pan for 3 minutes, scraping up the adobo left behind, until they have caramelised brown spots. Roughly chop the mushrooms and mix them with the pineapple.
3 minStep 8: Mix 1 white onion and ½ oz fresh coriander in a small bowl; this is the classic taquería topping.
Step 9: Warm 12 corn tortillas one or two at a time on a dry pan or comal over a medium-high heat for 30 seconds a side, until soft and puffing in spots. Stack them in a clean tea towel so they steam and stay pliable; a cold tortilla cracks when folded.
6 minStep 10: Serve two tortillas stacked per taco, Mexico City style, topped with the mushrooms and pineapple, a spoonful of onion and coriander, a squeeze of 2 limes and ½ cup salsa verde if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mushroom tacos al pastor take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of orange juice?
- Mandarin or pineapple juice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cider vinegar?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Caramelised clay-pot tofu and mushrooms
Kho is the slow braise of the Mekong Delta: food simmered in a little clay pot (nồi đất) with dark caramel and seasoning until the sauce is sticky and the flavours go deep. This vegetarian cousin of cá kho tộ (braised fish) uses golden tofu and meaty mushrooms in place of fish, cooked in coconut water, as cooks do in the south, and finished with plenty of black pepper. Serve it bubbling in its pot with steamed rice and a sour soup or plain boiled vegetables. Chef's tip: take the caramel (nước màu) to a deep mahogany, darker than you think, just before it smokes; pale caramel only tastes sweet, while dark caramel gives the bittersweet, smoky flavour of a real kho.
Black bean tacos with lime slaw
Proof that a meat-free taco night can be the best one. The beans are mashed with chipotle and cumin so they hold together in the tortilla, and a quick lime slaw adds crunch.
Spinach with mushrooms
A bright green, savoury puree of potato, mushrooms and fresh spinach cooked in home-made baby stock. Thick and smooth, it's a good way to get iron-rich greens into babies of 8–18 months. Serve warm; spare portions freeze well.
