Barbacoa de Res
Slow-cooked shredded beef with warm spices and citrus—tender enough to fall apart with a fork. Serve in warm tortillas with pickled onions and cilantro.
- Total time
- 240 min
- Servings
- 6
- Calories
- 485
- Protein
- 52g
Ingredients
- 3.5 lb beef chuck roast
- 4 whole dried guajillo chiles
- 3 whole dried ancho chiles
- 1 whole white onion
- 8 whole garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 whole bay leaves
Instructions
- 1
Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo and ancho chiles by breaking them open over a trash can, shaking out the seeds and fibrous ribs, and discarding them.
- 2
Place the cleaned chiles in a small bowl and pour 1 cup of hot water from a kettle over them to soak, until they are soft and pliable, about 15 minutes.
- 3
Cut the onion in half lengthwise from top to root, then place each half flat-side down and slice it into 3 thick wedges; you will use these whole.
- 4
Smash each garlic clove under the flat side of a knife by placing the clove on the cutting board, setting the knife blade flat on top of it, and pressing down hard with the heel of your hand until the papery skin loosens.
- 5
Pat the beef chuck roast dry on all surfaces using paper towels, removing any excess moisture.
- 6
Transfer the soaked chiles and their soaking water to a blender, add 4 peeled garlic cloves, 0.33 cup of fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons of cumin, and 1.5 teaspoons of dried oregano; blend until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
- 7
Pour the chile mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing on the solids with a spoon to extract all liquid; discard the fibrous pulp left in the strainer.
- 8
Place the 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat and wait until a drop of water sizzles and evaporates when it hits the bottom, about 2 minutes.
- 9
Add the beef roast to the hot Dutch oven and leave it untouched for 4 minutes until the bottom surface turns deep brown, then flip it over and brown the other side for 4 minutes.
- 10
Remove the beef roast from the Dutch oven and set it on a cutting board.
- 11
Pour the strained chile sauce into the Dutch oven, add 2 cups of beef broth, the onion wedges, the remaining 4 smashed garlic cloves, and 2 bay leaves; stir everything together.
- 12
Return the beef roast to the Dutch oven, nestling it into the liquid so it is mostly submerged, with the top surface just touching the liquid.
- 13
Cover the Dutch oven with its lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3.5 hours without opening the lid, allowing the beef to become fork-tender.
- 14
Remove the lid and use two forks to shred the beef directly in the pot by placing one fork on each side of a large piece of meat and pulling the forks away from each other, breaking the meat into small strands.
- 15
Stir the shredded beef into the cooking liquid, breaking any large pieces into bite-sized shreds; remove and discard the onion wedges and bay leaves.
Tools you’ll need
- 6-quart Dutch oven with lid
- blender
- fine-mesh strainer
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- paper towels
- wooden spoon
- two forks
- small bowl
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