Tacos Rústicos de Setas con Recado Blanco
Tacos Rústicos de Setas con Recado Blanco·(tah-kohs roos-tee-kohs deh seh-tahs kohn reh-kah-doh blahn-koh)
Grandma's Pantry: Everyday Recados, Salsas, and Hacks
In the Yucatán, the secret to deep, complex flavor on a random Tuesday isn't hours of simmering—it's the recado. These intense spice pastes are the working kitchen's instant flavor bombs, and Recado Blanco is the most comforting of the bunch. Relying on warm roasted garlic, oregano, and cinnamon rather than fiery chilies, it usually marinates pork or poultry. Here, it turns shredded oyster mushrooms into a deeply savory, remarkably meaty taco filling in twenty minutes flat. The real grandmother's hack is making a batch of the dry spice blend to keep in your pantry. When you're ready to cook, just add roasted garlic and a splash of citrus, and you're eating real food.
Before you start
Shred the oyster mushrooms by hand.
Use your fingers to pull the mushrooms apart lengthwise into thick shreds so they mimic the texture of pulled pork or chicken.
Ingredients
- garlic1 head
- whole black peppercorns1 tbsp
- cumin seeds1 tsp
- coriander seeds1 tsp
- whole cloves4 small
- Mexican cinnamon stick1 small
- dried Mexican oregano1 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- fresh lime juice1 1/2 tbsp
- fresh orange juice1 1/2 tbsp
- oyster mushrooms1 1/2 lb
- neutral cooking oil2 tbsp
- white onion1/2 med
- corn tortillas8 med
- pickled red onions1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Roast the garlic in a dry skillet.
Place a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat and toast the unpeeled garlic cloves, turning occasionally, until the skins are blackened in spots and the flesh softens, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then peel.
- 02
Toast the whole spices until smoking.
In the same dry skillet, add the peppercorns, cumin, coriander, cloves, and cinnamon. Toast for 1 to 2 minutes, shaking constantly, until they release a highly fragrant smoke. Toss in the oregano for 5 seconds off the heat, then immediately remove from the pan.
- 03
Grind and blend the recado blanco.
Grind the toasted dry spices and salt into a fine powder using a spice grinder. Transfer to a blender with the peeled roasted garlic and the citrus juices, blending until you have a thick, slightly coarse, grayish-green paste.
- 04
Dry-sear the shredded mushrooms.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shredded mushrooms to the dry pan without oil and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Letting them release their water and brown concentrates their flavor and gives them a firm, meaty bite.
- 05
Fry the paste and finish the filling.
Reduce heat to medium, add the oil and slivered onion, and sauté until soft. Stir in the recado paste, coating the mushrooms evenly, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes to fry the spices in the fat. If it looks too dry, add a splash of water to glaze the mushrooms.
- 06
Assemble the tacos and serve immediately.
Pile the mushroom filling onto hot corn tortillas and top generously with pickled red onions.
Notes
Embrace the color of the paste.
Recado Blanco translates to white recado, but thanks to the black pepper and roasted garlic, the finished paste will look grayish-brown. This is exactly what it is supposed to look like.
Master the make-ahead spice hack.
Multiply the dry spices by four, toast, grind, and keep them in a jar. On a busy weeknight, just scoop out two tablespoons, mash it with roasted garlic and citrus, and you have instant recado.
Source true Mexican cinnamon if possible.
Look for soft, crumbly Mexican Ceylon cinnamon at Latin markets. If you only have standard US Cassia cinnamon, use half the amount, as it is far more aggressive.