Recipe – Street-Style Mushroom & Cheese Tacos
No one is as obsessed with Danny Meyer and Union Square Hospitality as my former partner is. He could write a thesis paper on all the ways they dominate the restaurant landscape, especially in New York, and how their influence bleeds into every corner of the industry. His current obsession, and the obsession of several of my friends, is Tacocina, Union Square’s taco stand in Domino Park, Williamsburg, which opened in 2018. When I realized the restaurant was a 20-minute bike ride away from me, I couldn’t resist going to make my non-NYC friends jealous.
So how were the tacos? Admittedly, they were fantastic, especially considering Tacocina is located in a very trendy area. They could do worse and still survive. Plus, it’s hard not to enjoy your tacos at the scenic Domino Park, which is easily one of my favorite spots in Brooklyn. However, rarely do I feel like biking all the way to Williamsburg for a $5 taco. I decided to try to mimic the mushroom taco at home, and in my humble opinion, the results are stellar. The taco’s ingredients are truly very simple; they just build off of each other in a way that feels complex. And most of the taco’s wow factor comes from the presentation and cooking method, which is much easier than it looks. Also, to be fair, actual Mexican-owned taco places have been doing this forever, sorry Danny. Below is the recipe for how to replicate this delicious and hipster-worthy taco. Even if you haven’t been to Tacocina, this is a great way to elevate your home taco game.
Ingredients
Makes 4-6 tacos
tortillas (flour or corn, I prefer corn)
about 3 cups shredded cheese (a blend that includes monterey jack is best; mild cheddar, asadero, oaxaca, and quesadilla cheeses all work great)
2 ripe avocados
1/2 red onion
1 tomato or 1/2 can Ro-Tel fire roasted tomatoes and green chilies
1.5 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup salsa verde (optional)
10g cremini mushrooms
1 shallot
1 Tbsp mirin or honey
1 tsp ground thyme
olive oil
salt and pepper
bundle of cilantro (optional for serving and/or to add into the guac)
lime wedges (optional, for serving)
cojita cheese (optional, for serving)
Method
Shred the cheese, if you haven’t already.
For the guacamole, core and mash the avocados. Finely dice the red onion and tomato, if not using the canned tomatoes. Mix avocado, onion, tomato, lime juice, cayenne, paprika, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. If you want a thinner, or even a more tomatillo-y, guac, add the salsa verde and mix. Set aside.
For the mushrooms, dice the shallot and then cook until translucent in a skillet with some olive oil over medium heat. Chop mushrooms into medium-sized pieces. Cutting them lengthwise once then crosswise about five times works well, but it doesn’t matter as long as all the pieces are about equal in size. Add mushrooms to pan, sprinkling in about a teaspoon or more of salt. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Once the mushrooms have released all their liquid, that has evaporated, and the mushrooms are adequately browned, add some pepper, the thyme, and the mirin or honey. Toss to coat then set aside.
For cooking and assembly, use a nonstick pan or skillet. Preheat the pan dry over medium heat on the stove. If desired, toast one side of each tortilla before the next part.
Now, for each taco, place a circular and thin layer of shredded cheese in the preheated pan. You should try to match the width of the tortillas. The cheese will start to bubble and form together almost immediately. Scoop some cooked mushrooms onto the cheese and create another thin layer. Place a tortilla, toasted side down if you did that, on top and press everything down with a spatula. When cheese is browned around the edges, flip the taco and toast the tortilla side for a couple minutes before serving. The fried cheese side should sound hard and crunchy when tapped.
Serve with a spoonful of guacamole and shredded cilantro. Lime wedges and crumbled cotija cheese are also encouraged.