Cochinita Tacos

Step 1

Shred the oyster mushrooms into even sized strips and place into a large glass bowl.

Step 2

In a blender cup add the achiote paste, garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, black pepper, salt, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, apple cider vinegar and orange juice. Blend until completely smooth and the achiote paste has broken down completely.

Step 3

Pour the sauce over the mushrooms and allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Step 4

After the mushrooms have marinated, preheat the oven to 390F or 200C. If your banana leaves have not been toasted then place them over a hot griddle or pan for a minute or two until they turn a darker green color and become more flexible.

Step 5

Lay the banana leaf or leaves over a baking dish (I used a 9×9) then drizzle a little bit of olive oil and rub the banana leaf with the oil. Pour in the marinated mushrooms, drizzle a little more oil over them. Then cover the mushrooms with the banana leaf. Try to push them down to create a cooking pocket.

Step 6

Roast in the center of oven for 30 minutes. Then open the banana leaf pocket, cut away the excess to expose the mushrooms. Give the mushrooms a good stir, then place back in the oven and roast another 40 minutes or until the marinate liquid has mostly evaporated and the mushrooms begin go brown a bit.

Step 7

Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Step 8

Serve on warm corn tortillas with chopped pickled red onions and habanero hot sauce for extra heat. Enjoy!