Mushroom Carnitas with Magical Green Sauce

5 from 11 votes

Imagine your favorite crispy carnitas but made with mushrooms! Vegetarians rejoice - this is bananas good!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican, Tex Mex, Southwestern

Servings: people

½ pounds fresh jalapeños, stems removed (you can remove seeds if you want less heat)
½ yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
¾ cup grapeseed oil (or canola oil)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1-2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 pounds king oyster mushrooms, wiped clean
2 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ orange, juiced
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups yellow onion, finely chopped
1 lime, juiced
Flour tortillas for serving
chopped onion, cilantro, magical green sauce and a squeeze of fresh lime for garnish

Place the peppers, onion and garlic in a medium saucepan and just enough water to cover. Place over medium high heat and bring to a simmer, reduce heat to maintain a simmer for about 15 minutes or until peppers pierce easily with a knife, soft not mushy. Drain, reserving ½ cup cooking liquid and allow to cool 15 min.
Put everything into a blender along with the salt, vinegar and begin to blend until smooth, adding in a little reserved cooking water if needed.
With the blender on medium low slowly pour in the oil in a steady stream. Continue to blend until the mixture is light and creamy.
Remove from the blender, allow to cool and place in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week. (Makes 2 cups)

Preheat the oven to 400 F and spray two baking sheets with cooking spray
Shred the mushrooms by removing the cap with a sharp knife and slice thin, with a fork shred the stem of the mushroom into strips of varied sizes, some thin, some thick.
In a medium bowl combine dry spices, Worcestershire, orange juice, salt and 4 tablespoons olive oil. Add in the shredded mushrooms and toss to coat, let marinate 15-20 min while the oven comes to temperature
Place the mushrooms onto the baking sheet with the chopped onions and roast in the oven about 30-40 minutes until crispy and golden, stirring every 10 minutes. Check the mushrooms every 5 minutes starting at the 30 minute mark, once they are golden and crispy, they are done. Remove from oven and set aside.
Add lime juice and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve in warm charred tortillas with chopped onion, cilantro, limes and magical green sauce.

Feel free to add your favorite toppings! Though obviously cheese, sour cream, etc. won't be vegan.