SLOW COOKED SPICY SHREDDED BEEF
6-8 servings
SLOW COOKED SPICY SHREDDED BEEF
6-8 servings
I didn’t get a “slow cooker” until 2005. This is one of my favorite things to make in it. I make a big batch and freeze little pouches for future meals. Shredded beef is good in tacos, nachos, quesadillas,taco salads as well as enchiladas. It’s better to make this a day ahead or in the morning for serving later in the day. The reason- you remove the meat from the cooking sauce and refrigerate it- and then pour off the sauce to a glass bowl or large measuring cup and refrigerate that so the fat hardens and you can easily skim it off. The browning of the meat is the hardest part- and messiest- your stove will surely need a good cleaning when done. But, once it’s in the slow cooker you can pretty much forget about it- just checking from time to time to see if you need to all some water.
3 # beef chuck roast cut into 2- 3 inch pieces-with excess fat,gristle, and connective tissue removed
16 ounces Roja sauce- homemade or store bought
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 T canola oil
1 med size yellow onion sliced thin
Season the cubed meat with kosher salt and pepper.
Pour the Roja sauce into the slow cooker and turn on high and put the lid on.
In a large fry pan over med high heat heat the oil. Working in batches brown the meat on all sides, adding more oil between batches if necessary. Transfer the beef to a slow cooker. Saute the onion in the same pan you cooked the beef in for 3-5 minutes. The juices from the onion will help to de-glaze the pan.Add the onions to the pot and cover and cook on high until the beef is tender and shreds easily when pulled with two forks- about 3 hours. Check it from time to time and add a little water if it seems to be drying out.
When the meat is fork tender and shreds easily remove from the cooker with a slotted spoon. Pour the sauce into a glass heat resistant container and refrigerate the beef and the sauce.. When the sauce has cooled and the fat has risen- a couple hours. Skim off the fat.
Using 2 forks shred all the beef. Combine with the sauce - you want it moist not soupy. I usually don’t use all of the sauce, but freeze the rest for the next time i make shredded beef. Re-heat the portion you want to use and make tacos,enchiladas, etc with the mouth melting, full of flavor beef.
If you don’t have a slow cooker you can certainly make this in a heavy duty enameled cast iron dutch oven such as “Le Creuset”. Cook at 300 degrees for about 3 hours. You might need to add a little water from time to time if the beef starts to dry out.
*Mexican cooking expert, Rick Bayless, has a wonderful line of Mexican theme products “Frontera” that can be found in most upscale markets. I almost always use one of his cooking sauces- they are well worth it- in terms of time and cost of all the special ingredients.
On hot summer days i find a shady spot on my back deck and plug in the slow cooker out there to keep the kitchen cool.
Variation: Don’t shred the beef- after skimming off the fats from the sauce return everything to the slow cooker. Add some pre- cooked pinto beans,corn, pumpkin, etc and reheat long enough for the flavors to blend- and then have your self a Mexican flavored stew. Serve with yellow rice.
Another Variation:
Fill Savory crepes with shredded beef and top with guacamole