Living in Austin, I have eaten my fair share of tacos. Not only are they insanely popular right now, street-style tacos are completely versatile. From al pastor to grilled chicken to shredded beef, the variations and ingredients are endless.
I decided to try my hand at making some at home. I perused my favorite blogs and websites looking for some tips from other home cooks, and I found this great beef recipe from Perry’s Plate. I decided to use it as a base and go from there. There is a huge bonus to this recipe: you can use your crock pot!
Recipe: Shredded Beef Street Tacos (inspired from this recipe)
3-4 dried pasilla peppers
2 guajillo peppers
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
Juice from two limes (about 3 – 4 Tablespoons)
2 chipotle peppers, from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce (I seeded mine)
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon oregano
1/3 cup beef broth3-5 pounds of beef (large roasts work best, any cut)
2 guajillo peppers
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
Juice from two limes (about 3 – 4 Tablespoons)
2 chipotle peppers, from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce (I seeded mine)
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon oregano
1/3 cup beef broth3-5 pounds of beef (large roasts work best, any cut)
Heat a skillet to medium heat and add the dried chiles. Toast for a minute or so until they become fragrant. Don’t let them burn. Transfer to a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Add another bowl on top of the chiles to keep them submerged. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes, up to a few hours.
Drain chiles, remove stems and most of the seeds, and place them in the blender with the remaining ingredients (except the beef). Blend until smooth. Set aside.
Unwrap your beef and trim as much fat off as you can. Heat a cast-iron or stainless steel skillet with 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil oil over high heat. The oil should be shimmering and there should be very faint wisps of smoke. Place the beef in the skillet and let it brown for a minute or two. Turn the meat to sear on all sides.
Transfer seared meat to a slow cooker. Pour blended sauce over top. Cover and cook on low for at least 8 hours.
When the meat is tender, remove roast from the cooker and shred the meat. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Discard any slimy fat that you can see, and pour sauce in bowl and set aside.
Now, you can either use now for delicious tacos or cool, cover and chill in fridge for later.
To assemble the tacos, I used two corn tortillas, slathered on some sour cream, then the shredded meat, some of the DELICIOUS sauce, crumbled cojita cheese, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, chopped yellow onion, and a squeeze of lime.
SO good. These would be great for a casual dinner party set up like a taco bar. Let your guests choose their fillings!
Enjoy!
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