Barbacoa Beef

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

Out of all my taco recipes, this one has quickly become the favorite in our house.  I make this recipe using my super awesome Cuisinart Cook Central 3-in-1 multi-cooker.  AKA the crock pot Tim the Tool Man got ahold of.  If you don't have one, this will require more than just your crock pot - although the original recipe linked above only uses a regular crock pot.  Directions are written as if you are doing it all in your super awesome Cook Central - if not, steps one and three will either be skipped or done on the stove top.  

6-7 lbs chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2" chunks
6 cloves garlic, minced
6-7 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce (1 per pound of meat), chopped
1 7 oz can diced green chilies
2 white onions, diced
1/2 cup lime juice
4 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (do yourself a favor and get it at Apple Hill, not the Heinz stuff)
6-7 bay leaves (1 per pound of meat)
2 tbsp. ground cumin
4 tbsp. mexican oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup beef broth
Salt and Pepper
Lime-infused, garlic-infused, or plain old boring olive oil


Step One 
Turn your awesome crock pot to saute at 400 degrees and throw in a little oil (go easy, really, like 1 tsp), or heat in a frying pan on the stove if you're old school like that.  Generously salt & pepper your chunks of meat.  Throw into the pot about a fifth of the onion and garlic, let it cook for 30 seconds, then add a layer of meat and brown  the meat on all sides.  Remove all to a big bowl and repeat until all the meat is browned.    For me this is usually 5-6 batches.

Step Two 
Turn the crock pot to low.  Dump that bowl of meat and onions and garlic and juices back into the crock pot.  Throw in everything else and give it a little mixing.  Cook on low for 8-9 hours.  Resist the urge to open it that will hit you at hour four.  This is the perfect go to bed and wake up to OMG meat recipe.

Step Three 
After your nine hours, lift the lid and it should look a lot like baby, you got a stew.  Big chunks of meat floating in a nice dark liquid.   Turn your super awesome Cook Central back to saute at 350.  Shred the meat with two forks, and the liquid will start to boil while you do that.  Yank out the bay leaves while you shred the meat, don't want to accidentally feed those to anyone.  Let the liquid reduce for about 20 minutes, until it looks more like juicy meat than a stew, and you are all done.

We usually eat this as tacos, but you could also use it for enchiladas or whatever other mexican-ish thing you want.