barbacoa

Food has been interesting.  Winter and spring it was all about meat and tacos.  How many tacos can be eaten?  If the meat has been made, how much can used on salads?  Until it got hot, this was what was happening.  Now it is poke bowls.  My expectation is that tacos will be requested again as soon as the the heat subsides a little bit.  

I am also going to share how I make poke bowls but that is another group of recipes that gets combined.  Yes, more making the things to make the things!

Barbacoa.  It is a favorite going out.  Many places though only make it for weekends because it has a long marinating time.  Which was one of the main reasons I wanted to be able to make it at home.  Then, I can have it any time I have the pennies for beef.  I say that because I have seen a rise in grocery prices.  I save every receipt and track it.  It is a great motivator not to eat out and eat a few more vegetarian dishes.

I did some looking and pondering.  Definitely something I could make in the slow cooker which is always a plus.  The longer the better because then it could shred so very easily.  In the end, there were tacos.  I also have to admit that I was asked for a meat based pasta sauce and I used this beef as a starting spot.  The meld of the Mexican and Italian was lovely!

barbacoa

3 lbs chuck roast, cut into chunks and trimmed

4 cloves garlic

2 chipotles in adobo sauce

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles

1 small white onion, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup lime juice (about 3 limes)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 cup vegetable broth or water

Pull out the slow cooker.  Put the meat into it.  

In a blender, put the rest of the ingredients except the bay leaves.  Blend.  I blended for a couple of minutes because I wished more of a sauce but if you like chunks, you do not have to blend as long.

Pour the sauce over the meat.  Add the bay leaves.  Cover and cook on low for twelve hours.  The meat should be able to shredded with spoons.

It is very simple to make.  It just takes time and bellies around here were very happy.  Not so happy to wait for it to be done once it could be smelled.  When it gets cooler, I know this will be back into the rotation.