Didn’t notice I’d gone? Well, good. My site has been on the fritz for the past few weeks, but hopefully now it’s all back to normal.
That’s basically how I feel about winter. It’s a little freak-out period when temperatures plummet along with moods, but then everything goes back to normal and we forget it ever happened for a few sun-glorious months.
One way to blindfold yourself to the side-winding snow is with tongue-tingling tacos. You could also make this with a big roast of lamb, bison or pork (the most economical option, but buy organic if you can because factory farming is gross and pigs roll around in a lot of disgusting stuff that has nothing to do with Clostridium Difficile).
Now that you’re hungry…
Slow-Cooker Chipotle Beef Tacos
You can also roast this in the oven. Up the beef brother to 2 cups and bake, covered in aluminium foil for 3 hours in a 325ºF oven. Then remove the foil and bake another 30 minutes. The slow-cooker way is easier.
1 tablespoon oil
4 lb beef brisket
1 tsp salt
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, optional
1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems and leaves separated
1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder (or 1/2 can chipotles in adobo sauce. Note: It’ll have a lot more sugar)
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sprinkle the meat with the salt. Sear the meat on all sides, 1 minute per side. Transfer the meat to the slow-cooker. Add the onions, garlic and cumin to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring, for 8 minutes. Add a little of the beef broth if the onions start to stick or burn. Now add the cilantro stems (reserving 2 tbsp for the salsa verde below), chipotle powder, diced tomatoes and the rest of the broth. Bring to a boil. Pour over beef in the slow-cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours.
Stir in the lime juice and shred meat. Garnish with the cilantro leaves. Serve with soft tortillas, sour cream and salsa verde (recipe below)
Salsa Verde
1 8-oz. can tomatillos, drained
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp chopped green onion (white and green parts)
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp cilantro stems
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Done.
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