Slow-Braised Barbacoa Tacos with Pickled Onion
Fork-tender beef cheeks braised low and slow in a deeply spiced adobo of dried chiles, cumin, and cloves until the meat falls apart at a glance. Piled into warm corn tortillas and crowned with tangy pickled red onion and fresh cilantro, these tacos deliver rich, complex flavor in every fold.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef cheeks or chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
+ 13 more ingredients
Instructions
Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side until fragrant and pliable. Place them in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 20 minutes.
While the chiles soak, prepare the pickled onions. Toss the sliced red onion with lime juice, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a jar. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Drain the chiles and add them to a blender with the chipotle peppers, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, and smoked paprika. Blend until completely smooth.
Season the beef generously with salt and pepper. Sear in a hot Dutch oven with a little oil until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Pour the chile sauce over the beef.
Cover the Dutch oven tightly and braise in a 300 degree Fahrenheit oven for 3 to 3.5 hours, until the meat shreds effortlessly with a fork.
Remove the beef and shred it, then return it to the pot and toss with the braising liquid. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Warm the corn tortillas on a dry skillet or open flame. Fill each with barbacoa, top with pickled red onion and cilantro, and serve immediately.
Nutrition Estimate
Per serving • Estimated by Blinner AI