Tacos de Barbacoa
Jalapenos are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapenos have a balanced combination of flavor and heat.
The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties. You can now get jalapenos with various heat level and sizes. These can be used in salsas, stuffed, or eaten straight with cheeseburgers (my personal favorite).
Ingredients:
2 canned chipotle chiles, with sauce
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, coarsely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
Leaves from two sprigs of fresh oregano
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
2 pounds chuck or rump roast
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil
1 cup chicken or beef stock
1 bay leaf
Corn tortillas, guacamole, and queso fresco, to serve
Instructions:
Combine the chiles, pepper, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, cumin, oregano, cloves, and nutmeg in a food processor. Process until well blended and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Cut the roast in to 3 large pieces and rub them all over with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
In a large oven-safe pot that has a lid, heat about some oil over high heat (enough to cover the bottom of the pot nicely). Add the meat, cooking on all sides until browned. Depending on the size of your pot, you might or might not need to do this in batches.
Pour the sauce over the meat and mix to coat well. Add the stock and bay leaf, and keep the heat on high until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pot with foil, and then cover with the lid. Place in the oven and cook for 3-1/2 hours, turning the meat over once in the middle of cooking.
Test the meat – it should be fork-tender. If not, return to the oven until it is.
Place the meat in a bowl and pour the juices into another bowl. Shred the meat with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat that you come across. Place the meat back in the pot, and place over medium heat on the stove to crisp the meat up a bit. After about 8 minutes, add back in some of the juices until the meat is as juicy as you like. Leftover juices can be strained and saved in the fridge to make spicy rice, soup, etc. – it’s basically now super flavorful beef broth.
Serve the barbacoa on warmed corn tortillas with guacamole and queso fresco.
Serves 4-6.
From cupcakemuffin.blogspot.com