Chile-Braised Beef
This chile pepper gets its name from its origin. In Spanish, serrano is an adjective meaning “from the mountains” which is where it originated-in the mountains of Hildalgo, Mexico. The serrano is normally about twice as hot as Jalapeno (about 10,000 to 15,000 Scoville units).It is the second most popular chile pepper in Mexico. This chile is used mostly for salsas but can also be used in soups, sauces, chili or stews.Try these as a hotter substitute for Jalapeno.
INGREDIENTS
3-4 pounds beef chuck roast
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ to 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile or cayenne
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2-3 small fresh green chiles, such as jalapeno (use the amount that suits your heat tolerance)
2 cups low-sodium canned or homemade chicken broth
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Meanwhile, heat the pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat and then add olive oil.
Pat the meat dry and then season with salt and pepper.
When the oil is hot add the meat and sear on both sides. Here’s where I see most people go wrong. The meat takes about 10 min on each side to get a proper sear. It’s ready to turn over when the meat stops sticking to the pan. The meat should have a dark brown crust on it. See my picture for an example. This really builds flavor. Once seared, remove meat from the pan and put on a plate.
Add onions, cumin and chipotle to the pan and mix together. Cook onion mixture for 5 minutes or until they’re fairly soft. Just a warning, don’t put your face too close to the pot at this point unless you want to have a coughing fit.
Add garlic to the pot and cook for about 30 seconds.
Add chicken broth to the pan and scrape the bottom of the pan to get up all those stuck on spices.
Add chiles and put meat back in the pan. Don’t forget to add in any juices that the meat leaked while sitting.
Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and put it in the oven.
Cook the meat for 3-3 ½ hours or until the meat is falling apart tender. As it cooks, occasionally baste the meat and make sure the liquid doesn’t evaporate too much. If it’s getting dry add more broth or water.
Once cooked, cool until you can shred it with a fork.
Once shredded, put meat back in the pot and mix with the onion and broth mixture and place the pot in the fridge overnight.
When you’re ready to eat, put the pot into a 350 degree oven and heat for an hour or until warm.
Serve over polenta, rice or cauliflower mash and add salt and pepper to taste.
From autumnandspring.com