Mexican
Barbacoa de Res (Slow-Braised Beef Barbacoa)
★★★★½ (4.9)
Beef chuck roast braised low and slow with dried chiles and warm spices until it falls apart into rich, deeply savory shreds perfect for tacos, burritos, or spooning straight over rice.
- Low-and-slow braise turns an inexpensive cut into fall-apart tender meat
- Toasting the dried chiles first deepens the flavor of the whole sauce
- Extra braising liquid doubles as a rich dipping consomme
- In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the guajillo and ancho chiles for 20 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly puffed; do not let them blacken or they will taste bitter.
- Place the toasted chiles in a saucepan, cover with 2 cups water, and simmer 10 minutes until fully softened. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the soaking liquid.
- In a blender, combine the softened chiles, 1 cup soaking liquid, chipotle chile with adobo sauce, onion, garlic, vinegar, 1 cup beef broth, cumin, oregano, and 2 teaspoons salt. Blend 1 minute until completely smooth.
- Season the beef chunks generously on all sides with salt. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering, then sear the beef in batches, 3 minutes per side, until deeply browned; do not crowd the pot.
- Return all the beef to the pot, pour the blended sauce over it, add the remaining 2 cups beef broth and the bay leaves, and stir to coat the meat.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover tightly with a lid, and cook for 3.5 to 4 hours, checking once an hour to make sure the liquid is at a gentle simmer, not boiling hard.
- The barbacoa is done when a fork inserted into the beef meets no resistance and the meat shreds apart easily; internal temperature will be well above 200 F, which is what makes tough chuck tender.
- Remove the bay leaves and transfer the beef to a large bowl. Shred it with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat.
- Skim excess fat off the surface of the braising liquid, then pour about 1.5 cups of the liquid back over the shredded meat and toss to moisten; taste and add more salt if needed.
- Warm the corn tortillas in a dry skillet, 15 seconds per side, and serve the barbacoa piled onto tortillas with a squeeze of lime.
Resist the urge to boil the pot hard to speed things up; a hard boil toughens the connective tissue instead of melting it, so keep the heat low enough for just a gentle, lazy simmer.
Make it a day ahead: barbacoa reheats beautifully and the flavor actually improves overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition (per serving)
390Calories
38gProtein
20gFat
16gCarbs
3gFiber
640mgSodium
Nutrition information is estimated and provided for convenience only.
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