Chili Lime Mushroom Tacos

The Mesa Spring Smoke Classic is in two weeks and I am in full competition mode for the first time since October 2019. Eighteen months away from the circuit, eighteen months of pandemic cooking that was more about nourishment than technique, and now I am back at the smoker at midnight trimming brisket and obsessing over bark formation and setting alarms for 2 AM temperature checks. Jessica says I have "re-entered the atmosphere." She means I am impossible to live with. She is correct.

The first practice brisket was Saturday night into Sunday morning. Fourteen hours, post oak and mesquite blend, my standard rub. The result: good. Not great. The bark was solid but the smoke ring was shallow — I think the smoker needs recalibration after eighteen months of lighter-duty cooking. The flat was moist (the tallow-wrap method is locked in) but the point was slightly underdone. I pulled at 201 instead of waiting for 203, because I got impatient, because eighteen months off the circuit has eroded my patience the way it erodes everything else: slowly, invisibly, until you test it and realize the muscle has atrophied.

I will fix it. I have two more practice runs before the competition. The patience will return. The fire remembers even when the cook forgets.

The Sunday cookout at Roberto's continues — second week in a row. Smaller than the reunion: just us and my parents, eight people. But the rhythm is returning. Roberto at the cinder block grill. Me with the smoker in the driveway. Sofia grilling corn (she has claimed this as her station and will not relinquish it). Diego running in circles because Diego runs in circles. Elena making guacamole. Jessica sitting under the ramada with a book and a glass of wine, contributing nothing to the cooking effort and everything to the ambiance.

Roberto watched me trim the practice brisket on Saturday and said nothing for ten minutes. Then: "Your knife work is sloppy." I looked at the trim. He was right. The fat cap was uneven, the silver skin was still on the flat, and I had left too much hard fat on the point. Eighteen months of not competing has dulled my prep as much as my patience. I retrimmed under Roberto's supervision, and he nodded when I got it right. The master class continues. The teacher does not retire.

Made carne asada tacos for the crew on Taco Tuesday. The return to normal includes the return of Taco Tuesday, which the crew greets with the reverence of a congregation returning to a cathedral. Travis said, "I missed this more than I missed my apartment." He lived with his girlfriend during the pandemic. This statement will cause him problems. I did not warn him.

The carne asada tacos went fast — they always do — but the recipe I keep coming back to for the crew on a regular Tuesday, when the smoker is resting and the stakes are lower, is this one: chili lime mushroom tacos, built on the same flavor architecture as everything we cook out here, that hit of heat and acid and char that tells you summer is real and the table is full again. Taco Tuesday deserves a recipe that earns its place in the rotation, and after eighteen months of eating alone or eating for survival, I wanted something that felt like a celebration without requiring a fourteen-hour smoke. This is that recipe.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 27 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb portobello or cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 small corn or flour tortillas
1/2 cup red cabbage, thinly shredded
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
1 avocado, sliced
Lime wedges, for serving
Hot sauce, optional

Instructions

Make the marinade. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, and salt until fully combined.
Marinate the mushrooms. Add sliced mushrooms to the bowl and toss to coat evenly. Let sit for at least 10 minutes at room temperature so the mushrooms absorb the marinade.
Heat the grill or skillet. Preheat a grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. You want it hot enough to get real char on the mushrooms, not just a steam.
Cook the mushrooms. Add mushrooms in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes until charred on one side, then flip and cook another 3–4 minutes. Work in batches if needed to avoid crowding the pan.
Warm the tortillas. Char tortillas directly over a gas flame or in a dry skillet for 30–60 seconds per side until lightly blistered and pliable.
Build the tacos. Layer each tortilla with a handful of shredded red cabbage, a generous portion of chili lime mushrooms, avocado slices, cotija, and fresh cilantro.
Finish and serve. Squeeze a fresh lime wedge over each taco and add hot sauce if desired. Serve immediately while the mushrooms are still hot and the tortillas are warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chili Lime Mushroom Tacos — Taco Tuesday Is Back Where It Belongs