Beef Barbacoa Tacos

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Traditionally, Barbacoa is made with lamb and slow cooked for hours through an oven dug out of the ground. Living in New York, I have no ground to dig, and given how beef is far more popular than lamb in this country, I opted to create an at home version which all can enjoy. I made tacos but you can just as easily find other uses for this delicious barbacoa.

INGREDIENTS

BARBACOA:

  • 4 lbs beef chuck

  • 2 TBS canola oil

  • ⅓ cup fresh squeezed orange juice

  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice

  • 1 cup beef broth

  • 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped, plus 2 TBS of adobo sauce from can

  • ¼ cup brown sugar

  • 1 TBS apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tsp salt

  • 5 garlic cloves, smashed

  • 1 medium white onion, chopped

  • 1 TBS cumin

  • 2 tsp oregano

CORN TORTILLAS (about 12 small):

  • 2 cups masa harina

  • 1 cup hot water

ADDITIONAL NEEDS (for serving):

  • limes

  • cilantro

  • onions

  • hot sauce

  • avocado

  • crema

GO FOR IT

BARBACOA:

  1. Using a dutch oven or oven friendly deep pot, heat oil over high heat until shimmering

  2. Sear beef a couple minutes on each side until nicely browned, then remove from heat

  3. In a bowl, mix together orange juice, lime juice, beef broth, chipotle peppers and adobe sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic, onions, cumin, and oregano

  4. Once mixed, pour into pot with beef and stir well

  5. Bring pot to a simmer, then cover and place in a 250° oven for 6-8 hours (start checking after 4 - it’s ready once meat easily shred apart with a fork)

  6. When ready, remove from oven and shred meat, then place back in oven uncovered for 30 minutes, or until juices are soaked well into meat

CORN TORTILLAS:

  1. Mix masa harina and hot water in a small bowl

  2. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 1 hour

  3. Knead dough into a ball, adding cold water 1 TBS at a time until very soft, by not sticky (think wet play-dough)

  4. Cover dough in plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes

  5. Divide dough into small balls (should make about 12)

  6. Under plastic wrap (or it will stick to whatever you use to form them) use tortilla press or rolling pin to flatten dough into thin discs (about 5-6 inches in diameter and ⅛ inch in thickness)

  7. Place discs on hot, ungreased cast iron, griddle, or comal. Depending on heat, tortillas will cook in 90-120 seconds per side

  8. Place and keep under damp paper or kitchen towel

FINISHING STEPS:

  1. Serve barbacoa tacos with tortillas and toppings

NOTES:

Please use fresh citrus from fresh fruit. It’s so much better than the bottled stuff and so easy to do. Your taste buds with thank me.

This can also easily be done in a slow cooker but I try to avoid that when I can.