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Beef Barbacoa - Mexican Pulled Beef

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs. beef cheeks - see Note 1

  • 1 tsp salt, kosher/cooking

  • 1 tsp black pepper

  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, for searing

  • 4 bay leaves

 

Barbacoa Sauce:

  • 4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce - see Note 2

  • 3/4 cup dark ale (beer), or low sodium beef broth/stock - see Note 3

  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 4 Tbsp lime juice

  • 6 garlic cloves

  • 4 tsp ground cumin

  • 2 tsp oregano

  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves

Preparation

Cut beef: Cut large cheeks in half so you have around 12-15 pieces.

Season: Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Brown beef: Heat oil in a large pot or skillet over high heat. Sear beef in batches, browning aggressively all over. Place beef in slow cooker.

Blitz sauce: Place Barbacoa Sauce ingredients in a blender, food processor or similar. Blend until smooth – it shouldn't take long.

Slow cooker (see Note 4 for alt. cooking methods): Pour sauce over cheeks in slow cooker. Add bay leaves. Arrange cheeks so they are submerged as much as possible. Don't worry, they will release juice as they cook and raise the liquid level.

Slow-cook for 8 hours on low. The beef should be effortless to shred when done.

Shred: Remove cheeks from slow cooker into a pan. Shred using 2 forks.

Sauce: Pour over 3 or 4 ladles of the sauce, then toss.

Serve: Use in tacos with taco fixings of choice! Mexican Red Rice, Pickled Red Cabbage for Tacos and Lime Crema (Note 5)

 

Recipe Notes:

  1. Beef cut – For the most superior result, you can’t beat beef cheeks. The ample connective tissue of this cut breaks down into soft, sticky gelatin, giving the beef richness and juiciness you just don’t get with beef chuck. However, chuck does make a fine alternative – look for a well-marbled meat!

  2. Chipotles in adobo – These are chipotles (dried, smoked jalapeños) in a flavored red sauce that is quite spicy. Usually found in cans (sometimes jars). Widely available in the US. Check the Mexican section of large grocery stores.

    • Freeze leftover chipotles: Use a small ziplock bag, arranging chilies in one layer so it’s easy to break a bit off to use as needed.

    • Substitute in place of the chipotles in adobo: 1 1/2 Tbsp chipotle powder + 1 1/2 tsp SMOKED paprika powder + 2 Tbsp sriracha (YES, really, it’s pretty close to Adobo Sauce!).

  3. Beer really gives the broth an extra edge in flavour and a rich dark color to the sauce. The beer melds into the sauce so it doesn’t taste like beer, and the alcohol cooks away. Sub with low-sodium beef stock/broth.

  4. Other cook methods:

    • Slow cooker on high: 6 hours

    • Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker: 1 hour on high

    • Oven: 160° C/320° F (140° C fan) for 3 to 3 1/2 hours (cover tightly with foil)

  5. Lime Cream – excellent creamy sauce for tacos! Just mix:

    • 1/2 cup sour cream (full fat)

    • 2 tsp lime juice (adj. to taste)

    • 1/2 tsp lemon zest

    • 1/8 tsp garlic, finely grated using microplane (or garlic crusher)

    • Pinch of salt

    • Set aside for at least 15 minutes. Thickness varies depending on sour cream brand – if you want it thinner to drizzle, use either milk or water (1 tsp at a time, to be safe!). Keeps 3 – 4 days in fridge (might need spritz of fresh lime to brighten).

  6. Storage – Like all braises, this one keeps for many days (up to 5). Also suitable for freezing.

  7. Recipe source – With thanks to my friend Kevin from Kevin is Cooking for this recipe! He knows his Tex-Mex, that’s for sure.

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