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Barbacoa tacos of shredded braised meat on blue corn tortillas with onion, cilantro and lime

Beef Barbacoa

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 421
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lb beef chuck roast cut into 3 inch chunks
  • 3 each chipotle peppers in adobo plus 1 tbsp of the adobo sauce
  • 6 each garlic clove
  • 1 each onion roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 0.25 tsp ground cloves
  • 3 each bay leaf
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 2 tsp salt

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 300F. Season the beef chunks all over with the salt.
  2. Blend the chipotles and adobo, garlic, onion, lime juice, vinegar, cumin, oregano and cloves with 1/2 cup of the broth until smooth.
  3. Sear the beef in a heavy Dutch oven over high heat in batches until well browned on at least two sides, then return it all to the pot.
  4. Pour the chipotle mixture and the remaining broth over the beef, tuck in the bay leaves, and bring to a bare simmer on the stove.
  5. Cover tightly and braise in the oven for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the beef shreds with no resistance when pressed with a fork.
  6. Lift the beef out, discard the bay leaves, and skim the fat from the liquid. If the liquid is thin, simmer it uncovered for 10 minutes to reduce.
  7. Shred the beef with two forks and return it to the pot, tossing it in the liquid for a few minutes so it absorbs the sauce before serving.