Mexican Shredded Beef

Use this meat with tacos, burritos (and you can use some of the extra sauce for “wet” burritos), Mexican lasagna, enchiladas, chili con carne, or any number of other dishes. It is very versatile.

Implements

• A medium or large Dutch oven or other large pot that allows for braising (browning and simmering)
• Citrus juicer (if you prefer your oranges and limes to be fresh squeezed)

Ingredients

Dry spices:

• 1 TB chipotle powder, adjust spiciness to taste
• 1 TB paprika
• 1 TB dried oregano (preferably Mexican dried whole oregano)
• 1 TB salt
• 1 tsp ground Allspice
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Beef ingredients:

• 1 – 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 lb. beef chuck or brisket, cut into 4-6 pieces
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 onion, diced (yellow or white)
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups beef broth/stock
• 1/2 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine the dry spice ingredients in a small bowl. Pat spices onto the meat and cover well. If there is spice mixture leftover, save it.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot, such as a Le Creuset or other Dutch oven, over high heat. Add the beef (in batches, if necessary) and brown well on all of the sides. Remove the meat onto a plate.

Turn the heat down to medium. If the pot is dry, add more olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until soft.

Add the orange juice and lime juice, and deglaze (scrape) the pot so that the brown bits mix into the liquid. Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, water, and any remaining spice mix. Stir, return the meat to the pot, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 hours, then remove the lid and simmer for another 30 minutes until the beef is tender enough to shred and the sauce has reduced a little bit.

Remove the beef from the sauce and shred with 2 forks (or a shredding implement). Adjust salt to taste. If desired, add a couple of extra squeezes of a lime to brighten the flavor. Return the beef back to the sauce and serve.

Optional: After removing the finished meat, puree the sauce with a stick blender to make it smooth and thicker, then return the meat to the sauce.