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Award-winning chef, author and forager Alan Bergo. Food is all around you.

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Wild Mushroom Taco Meat (Vegetarian)

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Wild mushroom tacosFaced with a couple bags of frozen hen of the woods mushrooms this year, I set out to come up with some trusty ways to eat through large hauls of mushrooms quickly. These mushroom tacos were one of the winners, and they’re a great way to use up that winter stash before the season comes, although they’ll be even better made with fresh mushrooms. 

Cutting steaks from a hen of the woods mushroom, maitake, or Grifola frondosa

Hen of the woods, chicken of the woods, lobster mushrooms, and really any mushroom you can use to make duxelles will make good tacos.

Mushroom tacos are nothing new-they’re actually traditional, as I wrote about years ago in my post on tacos made with gomphus, lobster or shrimp of the woods. The traditional mushroom taco recipes I’ve seen are more like stewed mushrooms served with tortillas–they’re good, but they’re not going to be as punchy and deeply flavored as tacos made from chicken tinga, pork al pastor, or any of the myriad of fillings you’re likely to find at your favorite taco joint. 

Hen of the woods mushroom taco meat

Hen of the woods taco meat. Chicken of the woods, along with many other sturdy mushrooms can be used. Lobster mushrooms would also be good.

Mushrooms, while similar in some ways to meat, are also very different. Eating a chunk of mushroom stewed in sauce can be good, but to really mimic the classic “American-style” taco meat I grew up with, I knew I’d need to figure out a way to mimic the texture of ground meat. The first thing I thought of was mushroom duxelles, the famous French mushroom preserve that makes all kinds of things taste good.

Mushroom duxelles are basically finely chopped, cooked mushrooms, but you can also blend them in a food processor if you’re using sturdy mushrooms like hen or chicken of the woods, which gives a finely-ground product not unlike ground beef in some ways.

For the tacos, instead of the classic shallot, thyme and sherry combo I typically use for duxelles, I just imagined the ground mushrooms were ground beef, and went on from there. 

Wild mushroom duxelles recipe

A big pan of duxelles. Just imagine it’s ground beef.

To be clear here, you don’t necessarily need to use your own seasoning blend, this will be just fine made with your favorite packet of Ortega or whatever taco seasoning, but making your own is always going to taste better. Even more important than the seasoning you use though, is the fat. 

Wild mushroom tacos

Soaking the tortillas in some stock for a few moments before they hit the grill makes them extra pliable.

The importance of fat 

One of the biggest ways that mushrooms differ from meat is that they don’t contain fat, which is part of what helps ground meat taste like ground meat.

Starting the pan off with a bunch of butter or oil helps give the mushroom taco mix the creamy mouthfeel you expect-so don’t skimp on it. Once you get the mushroom taco meat made, you can use it anywhere you would ground beef taco meat, and made with care, some people probably won’t be able to tell this is vegetarian. 

Wild edible lobster mushrooms or Hypomyces lactiflourum (2)

Lobster mushrooms will also make great tacos.

Soaking the tortillas 

One last thing on the finished tacos. The finished tacos you see pictured are soft, supple, cheesy and delicious, and they’re made with corn tortillas as I prefer them to flour.

In order to make them pliable and soft, and encourage the “leoparding” pattern on the finished tacos, I take a page from Tacos de Birria here, soaking corn tortillas in chili broth for a few seconds before putting the tacos on the griddle. Try it and be changed. 

Wild mushroom tacos

Wild mushroom tacos with cheese
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Wild Mushroom Taco Meat (Vegetarian)

Tacos made with wild mushrooms-it will tastes like ground beef taco meat. Makes about 8 tacos.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Course: Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: Hen of the woods mushroom, Mexican, Tacos
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Mushroom Taco Mix

  • 8 oz hen of the woods or other wild mushrooms Huitlacoche works good too
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
  • good pinch dried oregano crumbled between your fingers
  • 3 T chili powder preferably made from freshly toasted and ground, dried chilis, such as guajillos
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1 small onion
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste (you may not need this if you make your own chili powder)
  • 1 cup meat or vegetable stock

Serving

  • Guajillo broth
  • 3 dried guajillo chilis
  • 3 cups mushroom vegetable or meat stock

Garnishes

  • Cooking oil as needed
  • Grated cheese such as queso chihuahua or mozzarella
  • Pickled red onions
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Sour cream
  • Your favorite salsa

Instructions

Mushroom taco mix

  • Preheat the oven to 300 F.
  • Melt the butter in a 1 quart or similarly-sized saucepot. Grind the mushrooms, onions and garlic to a coarse paste in a food processor, then add to the saucepot and sweat for five minutes.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and bake for 30 minutes hour, or until the pan is nearly dry. Season the mixture to taste with salt until it tastes good to you, then serve as you would taco meat.

To make the tacos as pictured

  • Toast the guajillo chilis until crisp and brittle, then break in half and remove the seeds. Combine the warmed stock in a blender with the chilis and puree until smooth, then strain and reserve.
  • Heat a comal or griddle lightly with oil. One at a time, put a corn tortilla into the stock and allow it to sit for a five-count. Remove the tortillas directly to the griddle, top with some cheese, and cook until the tacos are lightly browned and crisp on the bottom. Put a dollop of taco meat, along with red onions and cilantro on each taco if using, then fold the tacos over, pressing them down lightly. Transfer finished tacos to a warm oven while you finish the rest.

Related

Previous Post: « Georgian Walnut Spread / Phkali
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FORAGER | CHEF®
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Author: The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora
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Alan Bergo
HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mul HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mulberry trees and both got a bunch of fruit knocked down by the storms and wind. 

If anyone in West WI or around the Twin Cities knows of some trees, (ideally on private property but beggars can’t be choosers) that I could climb and shake with a tarp underneath, shoot me a DM and let’s pick some! 🤙😄

TIA

#throwadogabone #mansquirrel #beattlefruit #mulberries #shakintrees
Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of t Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of the more interesting things I’ve eaten. 

These are an ancient wild food traditionally harvested in Southern Italy, especially in Puglia and the Salentine Peninsula, as well as Greece and Crete. I’ve seen at least 6-7 different names for them. 

A couple different species are eaten, but Leopoldia comosa is probably the one I see mentioned the most. They also grow wild in North America. 

The bulbs are toxic raw, but edible after an extended boil. Traditionally they’re preserved in vinegar and oil, pickled, or preserves in other methods using acid and served as antipasti. (Two versions in pic 3). 

They’re one of the most heavily documented traditional wild foods I’ve seen. There’s a few shots of book excerpts here.

The Oxford companion to Italian Food says you can eat them raw-don’t do that. 

Even after pickling, the bulbs are aggressively extremely bitter. Definitely an acquired taste, but one that’s grown on me. 

#traditionalfoods #vampagioli #lampascione #cucinapovera #lampascioni #leopoldiacomosa #foraging
Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke sallet and didn’t do too well (I’m at the tip of its range). I did see some feral horseradish though which I don’t see very often. 

Just like wild parsnip, this is the exact same plant you see in the store and garden-just escaped. 

During the growing season the leaves can be good when young. 

They have an aggressive taste bitter enough to scare your loved ones. Excellent in a blend of greens cooked until extra soft, preferably with bacon or similar. 

For reference, you don’t harvest the root while the plant is growing as they’ll be soft and unappealing-do that in the spring or fall. This is essentially the same as when people tell you to harvest in months that have an R in them. 

#amoraciarusticana #foraging #horseradishleaves #horseradish #bittergreens
In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo del carrubo” (carob tree mushroom) as it’s one of the common tree hosts there. 

My favorite, and really the only traditional recipe I’ve found for them so far is simmered in a spicy tomato sauce with hot chile and capers, served with grilled bread. 

Here I add herbs too: fresh leaves of bee balm that are perfect for harvesting right now and have a flavor similar to oregano and thyme. 

Makes a really good side dish or app, especially if you shower it with a handful of pecorino before scooping it up with the bread. 

#chickenofthewoods #fungodelcarrubo #allthemushroomtags #traditionalfoods #beebalm
First of the year 😁. White-pored chicken of t First of the year 😁. 

White-pored chicken of the woods (Laetiporus cincinnatus) are my favorite chicken. 

Superior bug resistance, slightly better flavor + texture. They also stay tender longer compared to their more common yellow-pored cousins. Not a single bug in this guy. 

#treemeat #ifoundfood #foraging #laetiporuscincinnatus #chickenofthewoods
TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with @jesseroes TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with 
@jesseroesler and crew @campwandawega
📸 @misterberndt 

#staffmeal #brisket #meatsweats #naptime
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