Tacos de Barbacoa (Mexican Beef Tacos with Three Peppers)

mexican-tacosbarbacoalolascocina These Barbacoa tacos are loaded with juicy, tender shredded beef that's been seasoned with chilies and spices, then cooked low and slow until the meat falls apart.

Barbacoa:
3 lbs beef chuck roast or beef brisket, sliced into 2-3" chunks
2 guajillo peppers
2 ancho peppers
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 (7 oz) can chipotles in adobo optional, for extra saucy and tangy-smoky flavour
12 oz beef stock
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed (~ 1 large lime)
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. Mexican oregano or use oregano
2 tsp. cumin
1 bay leaf
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Tacos:
8-12 flour or corn tortillas, lightly toasted

For Serving:
fresh chopped cilantro
chopped onion
chopped jalapeno
sliced radish
crumbly white cheese
hot sauce

Make the Barbacoa:
Remove the stems from the guajillo and ancho peppers and remove the seeds. Place the dried chiles in a large bowl and cover with very hot or boiling water. Soak them for 15 minutes, or until they become very soft and rehydrate. Drain and discard the water. Add the softened peppers to a food processor and process until smooth.

Add the beef chunks (or lamb) to a bowl. Add the ancho-guajillo paste and toss to even coat.

Heat the oil in a large cast iron pan to medium-high heat. Sear the beef chunks a few minutes per side to brown them. Transfer to a slow cooker or crock pot.

Deglaze the pan with a bit of beef stock (or water or wine) and scrape all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour it into the crock pot.

Add the chipotles in adobo, beef stock, vinegar, lime juice, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste to the crock pot. Stir.

Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours, or until the beef is fork tender. It should easily break apart with a fork. It could take a bit longer to cook, depending on your slow cooker.

Shred the beef with 2 forks and serve as desired.

Make the Tacos:
Serve the shredded meat onto lightly toasted tortillas, then top with your favourite toppings. Don’t forget the hot sauce.

Cook's Notes:

Spice It Up. You'll get a good level of spicy heat from the chipotles in adobo sauce, but if you're looking to spice it up even more, add in a couple chopped serrano peppers to your barbacoa sauce mixture. Or, add in 4-5 dried chiles de arbol peppers.
Milder Barbacoa. If you'd prefer a milder version of the recipe, use only half of the chipotles in adobo sauce.
Start Early. I recommend getting this recipe going early in the morning so you can let it cook low and slow all day long. You can easily keep it warm in the crock pot until you're ready to serve.

Storage:

This recipe will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Simply reheat it in a pan to warm it through, or warm gently in a microwave.
You can also freeze it for 2-3 months.