Today wasn't the best day. Someone cut me off on my drive home from work and nearly hit my car. There was a ton of traffic just minutes from my house. I had to drop off my car at the mechanic with no sign of when I'll get it back. I hit myself in the head with a door. Yup, a door.
But you know what could improve a day like today? Walking in the door to smell this simmering in the crock pot.
Taco night? Spicy.
Shredded Beef Tacos
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 lb boneless chuck roast (3 lbs if bone-in)
1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups beef broth or stock
4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Bay leaf
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Flour tortillas
Taco garnishes (avocado, cheese, lettuce, tomato, etc.)
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine all spices (except bay leaf). Rub spice mixture evenly over beef, coating all sides as much as possible.
2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add vegetable oil. Heat to almost smoking. Lay the meat into the skillet, allowing the first side to sear until it is well browned, 3-4 minutes. Flip the meat over, searing the other side as well. Lay the meat into the bowl of a slow cooker.
3. Pour the beef broth into the hot pan, scraping any browned bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the peppers and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until reduced and slightly thick, 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the bay leaf, onion, and garlic to the slow cooker, over the meat. Pour in the cooking liquid. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for at least 6 hours, and up to 8.
5. Remove the meat from the slow cooker to a large bowl. Shred with two forks. Add some cooking liquid and onions if desired. Serve warm in flour tortillas. Garnish with your favorite taco toppings.
Recipe Notes:
- This recipe does require some prep work, so I find it easiest to make on a day when I don't actually have to work or need to be somewhere early in the morning. But if you want to do some prep the night before, you can season the steak, chop the onion and garlic, and measure and mix together the beef stock, peppers, and tomato paste. Reserve all in the fridge overnight.
- The heat in this recipe comes from the chipotle peppers, so add more if you like it spicy or less if you like it on the mild side.
So for those of us who have been married for awhile and no longer have that croc pot we got for that long ago bridal shower is there an alternative ?
ReplyDeleteYes! Instead of using a large skillet and a crock pot, use a dutch oven! Follow all the directions, except instead of placing the ingredients in a crock pot, place them in a dutch oven and roast, covered, in the oven at 275 for 5-6 hours. You could even sear the meat and make the sauce in the dutch oven if you really want to diminish your number of dirty dishes.
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