Rick Bayless' Crock Pot Barbacoa
16 to 20 tacos
ingredients:
Marinade:
- 2 dried guajillo chiles (stemmed, seeded, torn into small pieces)
- 2 dried ancho chiles (stemmed, seeded, torn into small pieces)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo (diced)
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp dried Mexican oregano
Meat:
- boneless chuck roast (2 to 3 lbs)
- 6 oz beer (Modelo Negro is nice, finish off the bottle yourself)
- 2 bay leaves
- salt
- vegetable oil
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom.
- Dry the beef and season liberally with salt on all sides. Sear and brown on all side in the skillet.
- Transfer the beef to the slow cooker, then add some water to the skillet and replace over heat, stirring to dissolve the fond and reduce the liquid by about half. Transfer the liquid to the crock pot.
- Add all marinade ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour over the meat in the crock pot, then add the beer and bay leaves and stir briefly to combine.
- Set the slow cooker on high and cook 4 to 6 hours, until the meat is tender and shreds easily.
- Remove the meat, shred, and set aside. Skim as much fat off the surface of the sauce as you can, then transfer to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the sauce untl it has thickened enough to coat the meat. Add salt to taste.
- Add the shredded meat back to the sauce and toss to coat.
Serve in flour tortillas with diced white onion and cilantro to garnish. A squeeze of lime is nice, too.