Enjoy these scrumptious tacos any time, not just on Taco Tuesday. Toss shredded beef, veggies, guajillo and seasonings into the slow cooker and get a crowd-pleasing meal that’ll have them coming back for more.
.Ingredients:
Chairman’s Reserve® boneless beef chuck roast (about 3 ½ pounds)
3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 dried guajillo chiles
2 dried ancho chiles
1 large white onion
2 medium plum or Roma tomatoes
5 garlic cloves, peeled
5 cups water
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup fresh cilantro
18 (about 6-inch) corn tortillas
2 medium limes
1 pound shredded Chihuahua, Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (optional for quesatacos)
Equipment:
Chef’s knife and cutting board
6-quart or larger pressure cooker
Measuring cups and spoons
Slotted spoon
Blender
Griddle or large nonstick frying pan
Fine-mesh strainer
Box grater (optional)
2 forks
Kitchen shears
Directions:
- Prepare the chiles, onion and ginger. Using kitchen shears, cut the stems from 4 guajillo and 2 ancho chiles. Remove the seeds. Peel and halve 1 large white onion. Peel 1-inch fresh ginger and cut in half. Place the chiles, half the onion (reserve the other half of the onion), and ginger in a 6-quart or larger pressure cooker.
- Cook the aromatics. Add 5 peeled garlic cloves, 2 plum tomatoes and 5 cups water. Using the highest Sauté setting, bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes.
- Blend the sauce. Turn off the cooker. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chilies, onion, garlic, tomatoes and ginger to a blender. Add 2 cups of the cooking liquid, the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves. Blend on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Prepare the beef. Cut 3 ½ pounds chuck roast into 12 pieces. Season with 2 teaspoons of the kosher salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Cook the beef. Place the seasoned beef in the slow cooker and cover with the sauce. Cook on high for 2 hours and then low for 12 hours.
- Shred the beef. Using a slotted spoon, transfer all of the beef to a large bowl. Shred the beef with 2 forks, discarding any chunks of fat. Discard the thyme sprigs. Taste and season the beef and cooking liquid (consommé) with kosher salt as needed — they should be very well seasoned.
- Dip the tortillas. Heat a griddle or large nonstick frying pan over medium heat (or about 350ºF on a griddle). Working with as many tortillas will fit in a single layer in the pan or griddle, dip the tortillas one at a time in the consommé. Place in the pan in a single layer.
- Fill the tacos. If making quesatacos (cheese birria tacos), sprinkle about ¼ cup of the cheese onto each tortilla first. Top one half of each tortilla with about ¼ cup shredded beef. Drizzle the beef with a little more consommé.
- Cook until crispy. When the cheese is melted, fold each tortilla in half. Cook, flipping halfway through, until browned in spots and crispy, 5 to 6 minutes total.
- Keep the tacos warm. Transfer the tacos to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven on low (at 250°F). Repeat assembling and cooking the remaining tacos. Optional: Serve the tacos garnished with the diced onion, cilantro and lime wedges, with small bowls of consommé for dipping.
NOTES
- Make ahead: The chili sauce can be made ahead of time and kept frozen for a few months.
- Storage: Once cooled, the birria and consommé can be stored in the refrigerator in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator the day before and reheat over medium heat until warmed through, adding some of the consommé to the birria if it seems dry.
- Stovetop pressure cooking: If using a stovetop pressure cooker, cook the chiles and sear the beef in the cooker over medium-high heat. When ready to pressure cook, lock the lid on. Place over high heat. In about 10 minutes, the pressure cooker will come up to high pressure. Reduce the heat to below medium and pressure cooker for 40 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Dutch oven cooking: Sear and braise in a covered Dutch oven for 4 hours over medium heat.
