When I lived in Mexico I fell in love with barbacoa, a traditional Mexican street food. Slow-cooked with herbs and spices until tender and almost falling-apart, barbacoa most commonly uses cheap cuts of beef or lamb with plenty of connective tissue that adds flavor and tenderness. Not just a favorite street food, barbacoa is a favorite at many family tables. This recipe is a great alternative to the ubiquitous tacos we most often encounter here in the States. Give it a try. I think you’ll be impressed. It may become your go-to recipe for tacos! Avocado and Tomato Salad is the perfect side dish and a perfect compliment to this delicious recipe. The recipe is adapted from a recipe by Marisol Chancellor’s grandmother in Monterrey, Mexico. Mil gracias a Marisol y su abuela!

Barbacoa Tacos
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds chuck roast

• 1 tablespoon of oil

• 2 onions sliced

• 6 garlic cloves smashed

• 1/2 tablespoon oregano

• 1/2 tablespoon cumin

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2/3 cup broth or water

• Taco shells or corn tortillas, salsa, onions, cilantro, and Cotija cheese for serving.

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. degrees.

2. Cut the chuck roast into 2-3 inch pieces and season generously with salt and pepper.

3. In a dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot, add the oil and brown the meat on all sides over medium-high heat.

4. While the meat is browning, slice the onions and smash the garlic cloves, and set aside.

5. Remove the meat from the pot and add 1/3 cup broth/water to the dutch oven. Scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the pot.

6. Arrange half of the onions and garlic on the bottom of the pot and place the meat on top. Cover the meat with the rest of the onions and garlic and sprinkle with the oregano and cumin.

7. Add the apple cider vinegar, cover, and cook for 3 hours or until fork-tender.

8. Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside in a covered container.

9. Optional but recommended: remove the caramelized onions and garlic and any juices left in the pot. Add 1/3-1/2 cup of water to the pot and deglaze the pot over medium heat. Add the liquid to the caramelized onions and garlic and puree in a food processor until smooth.

10. Shred the meat with two forks and add the pureed sauce to add delicious flavor and keep the shredded meat moist.

11. Serve with warm tortillas or taco shells, salsa, cilantro, crumbled Cotija cheese, and onions.

Wine pairing: while a chilled beer is traditional, red wines like Merlot, Malbec, Carménère, Rioja, and Garnacha are good choices. Bill Seibert at Shellburne Falls Cork recommends a 2015 Mas du Soleiller Saint-Chinian “Terasse de Schiste”.

Adapted from: https://marisolcooks.com/2020/10/21/dutch-oven-barbacoa/