I'll start... really fancied like a mexican shredded beef that I could make tacos/ burritos with, so looked for a recipe and found this one:
https://www.recipetineats.com/mexican-shredded-beef-and-tacos/
This is how I make Mexican Shredded Beef. The sauce is rich, thick and full of flavour, and the beef is very tender and juicy. I use this shredded beef for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas and even to make sliders! The sauce really is fantastic. This makes more sauce than needed to toss the beef in so serve it on the side. I typically make this on the stove because I find it convenient, but I've provided directions for the oven and slow cooker in the notes as well.
Course: Beef, Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings:
20 tacos
Calories: 372 kcal
Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Ingredients
Spice Mix
- 1 1/2 tbsp chipotle powder (Note 7)
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp All Spice powder (ground All Spice)
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 2 tsp onion powder or garlic powder OR 1 tsp of each
- 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Beef
- 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 lb / 1.5kg beef brisket (or chuck, gravy or any other slow cooking beef) cut into 2 or 3 large pieces
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 onion , diced (yellow, brown or white)
- 3/4 cup / 185 ml orange juice
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 14 oz/400g can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups / 500 ml beef or chicken broth/stock
- Water
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Combine the Spice Mix ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle 4 teaspoons over the beef and pat so it sticks.
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add the beef (in batches if necessary) and cook so it is browned on all sides. Remove onto a plate.
- Turn the stove down to medium. If the pot looks dry, add more olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the orange juice and lime juice, and scrape the bottom of the pot so the brown bits mix into the liquid. Then return the beef into the pot, add the remaining Spice Mix, canned tomatoes, beef broth and enough water so the beef is mostly, but not completely submerged. (Note 1)
- Put the lid on, bring to a simmer then turn the stove down so it is bubbling gently, not rapidly. Cook for 2 hours with the lid on, then 30 minutes with the lid off or until the beef is tender enough to shred. (Note 1) OR cook in slow cooker for 6 hours on low Or pressure cooker on high for 50 minutes.
- Remove the beef and shred it with 2 forks. Leave the sauce to simmer with the lid off for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce and thicken to your taste. Adjust salt to taste. Optional: puree with stick blender to make it smooth (I did this for the photos).
- To serve, toss the beef in the sauce - use as much as you want. Serve the extra sauce on the side.
Notes
1. The cooking time will vary depending on what cut of beef you use, how heavy based your pot is (dutch ovens cook faster because they retain heat better) and also how thick your cut of beef is. This recipe is very forgiving so even if you leave it 1 hour too long, it will still be great! Check it at 2 hours and every 30 minutes thereafter to see if it is "shreddable" tender.
2. Simple Pico de Gallo - toss together diced tomatoes, finely chopped red onion, cilantro/coriander, lime juice, salt and pepper.
3. This makes enough for 20 - 25 tacos, 12 - 15 burritos (recipe coming next week for freezer friendly burritos). It is enough to serve 8 to 10 people.
4. To freeze or refrigerate, keep the sauce and beef separate. Reheat the beef in the microwave or in the oven (covered with foil), heat the sauce then toss. It's best to keep it separate because otherwise I find the beef gets quite soggy (especially when defrosting).
5. Slow Cooker - after deglazing the pot in step 4 with the orange juice and lime juice, pour the liquid and onions into the slow cooker and place all other ingredients (including the beef) into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 10 hours if beef is kept whole in 1 piece, or 6 hours if cut into 3 x 500g / 1 lb pieces per recipe. Transfer the liquid to a saucepan to reduce the sauce on the stove, as required by the recipe.
6. Oven - after completing step 4, cover and place in 325F/160C oven for 3 - 3 1/2 hours or until the beef is tender enough to shred. The liquid should reduce enough to make a thick sauce. If not, just simmer it on the stove until thickened to your liking.
7. Chipotle powder can be annoyingly difficult to find in Australia. It is not sold in the major supermarkets (yet) but you can find it in fruit & veg stores, delis and gourmet/speciality stores. It does not cost much more than ordinary spices. If you can't track it down, I think the best substitute is 1/2 tbsp each SMOKED paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper.
I actually added some smoked dried habaneros to the mix and some chipotle meccos as well, which gave it a great kick! Really great for burritos and wraps though and lasted a good few days. Recommend the Pico de Gallo! Really nice addition.
)
though I microwaved it for 1m30 and also added a bit of salted caramel in the bottom of the mug. It was actually amazingly nice. 