Beer-Marinated Grilled Mushroom Tacos with Pepita Relish & Chipotle Crema

Whenever I see a recipe that involves steak, my first thought is, “Aha! I can make that with portabella mushrooms!” Everybody knows that portabellas are the steaks of the mushroom world!

And for the record, both portabella and portobello are correct, although portobello is more common. But portabella is a much prettier word, isn’t it? Yes, it is.

On topic: the steakiness of portabella mushrooms. When I saw a recipe for Skirt Steak Tacos with Pepita Relish from Real Simple, it was the pepita relish that grabbed my attention — I kind of wanted to make the tacos for that alone. Using portabella mushrooms was a given, but when I looked at the comments and saw someone suggesting beer as a marinade for the steak, I wondered if that would work for mushrooms too.

For as often as I use wine and beer in my recipes, you’d probably assume that I like to get my buzz on, as the kids say. But I don’t! I can probably count on one hand the number of times I drink a year because I just don’t tolerate alcohol very well, which means that when I do drink, people think I’m totally hammered when I’ve just had half a glass of wine mixed with Sprite. (Sprine! It’s a refreshing and classy drink.) Alcohol has a way of making food delicious, so even if you’re not a fan of drinking it, you might find it worth picking up once in a while for cooking. And for making Sprine.

These grilled mushroom tacos aren’t just about beery mushrooms though! We can’t forget about the pepita relish. You could top your tacos with salsa instead, but this relish takes mere minutes to put together and it adds a fresh flavor and crunch to your tacos. I also included a chipotle crema made with soaked cashews — while it requires a little prep work, I assure you that it’s worth it. You’ll have some extra leftover because making a smaller batch won’t work in a blender, but it will keep in the fridge for a few days. We like using it as a dip for fresh veggies and chips or as an alternative to mayo on sandwiches.

This post was originally published on June 18, 2014.

Beer-Marinated Grilled Mushroom Tacos with Pepita Slaw & Chipotle Crema

Meaty beer-marnated mushrooms are a perfect substitute for steak in this meatless version of Real Simple’s Skirt Steak Tacos with Pepita Relish.

• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 8-10 tacos

Ingredients

For the Beer-Marinated Grilled Mushrooms:

• 1 cup pale lager (like Corona)
• Juice from 1 small lime (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• A pinch or two of freshly ground black pepper
• 8 medium portabella mushrooms
• Grapeseed oil or other high heat cooking oil for brushing grill

For the Pepita Relish:

• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup pepitas
• Juice from 1 small lime (about 2 tablespoons)

For the Chipotle Crema:

• 3/4 cup raw cashew pieces, soaked for 4-8 hours, rinsed, and drained
• 1 clove garlic
• Juice from 1 small lime (about 2 tablespoons)
• 2 teaspoons minced chipotle in adobo (adjust the amount to increase or decrease heat)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
• Salt and pepper to taste

To assemble tacos:

• 8-10 small tortillas, warmed
• 1 medium tomato, diced

Instructions

Make the mushrooms:

1. Combine the beer, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake it to mix the marinade.
2. Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel and pull off the stems. Scrape the gills off of the underside of each mushroom and discard. Place the mushrooms in the bag with the marinade. Let them marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning the bag every 5-10 minutes.
3. Preheat an indoor grill on high. (You can use a grill pan on medium-high or an outdoor grill too.) Brush the grates with oil and place the mushrooms on the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until the mushrooms are tender — thicker mushrooms can take a little bit longer!
4. Remove the mushrooms from the grill and place them on a cutting board. Slice the mushrooms and let the liquid drain off.

Make the relish:

1. Toss all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Make the crema:

1. Combine the cashews, garlic, lime juice, chipotle, and 1/4 cup of water in a blender. Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth. If needed, add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time. Once the crema is smooth, creamy, but still thick, add salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble to tacos:

1. Divide the sliced mushrooms onto the tortillas and top each one with relish, crema, and diced tomato, then serve.

Notes

Prep time doesn’t include time to soak cashews.