Mmmm... Braised Beef Tacos...

Get ready to be introduced to your new favorite taco recipe. These babies are incredible. The meat slow cooks all day so it is fall apart tender and filled with so many fabulous flavors!

Before this recipe I had never roasted my own peppers before and that kind of intimidated me, but it was so easy. I just put them under the broiler flipped them and the skin easily came off. The flavors as the beef cooks all day are so delicious. You can serve with any toppings you like but we did pickled red onions, shredded lettuce, Mexican crema (which is just sour cream mixed with fresh lime juice), shredded cheese, and jalapeños. The pickled onions really are quite amazing and pair together perfectly with the braised beef, so give them a try! The beef saves well, too—we used it the next day to make nachos, so you get two meals in one!

Enjoy!

|| B R A I S E D  B E E F  T A C O S ||
recipe adapted via Kitchen Konfidence

(makes 6-8 servings)

- 2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast trimmed of any excess fat

- 4 poblano peppers

- 1 serrano chile

- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

- 1 medium onion sliced thinly

- 1 clove garlic minced

- 1/2 cup red wine

- 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes

- pickled red onions (recipe below)

- shredded lettuce

- mexican crema (sour cream + lime juice)

- mexican shredded cheese

- sliced jalapenos

- corn or flour shells

If your beef is refrigerated, take it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before you plan on making this dish. Turn your burner on full flame. Using a long fork, hold one of the poblano peppers directly over the flame until the skin starts to bubble and blacken. Flip the poblano and blacken the other side. Once completely roasted, place the chile in a bowl and repeat the same process with the remaining poblanos and serrano chile. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the chiles steam and cool for several minutes. If you don’t have a gas stove, you can also roast the chiles under a broiler.

Transfer roasted peppers to a cutting board. Scrape off the blackened skin using the tip of a knife. Discard the skin. Cut off the stem end of each pepper and slice in half. Remove the ribs and seeds. Chop peppers into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside (a rough chop is fine here). Season the beef with a generous amount of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Once smoking hot, add the vegetable oil and then quickly and carefully add the beef. Sear for 2 minutes on each side and set aside. Leave the drippings in the pan.

Reduce heat to medium-high, then add the onions. Cook until softened and slightly caramelized (brown, but not black), stirring often (4-5 minutes). Add chopped chile peppers and garlic. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. You want the garlic to be fragrant and lightly brown, but not blackened. Add red wine and stir, scraping up any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine has reduced by half. Add diced tomato and bring mixture to a boil.

Pour the mixture into a large slow cooker. Set the seared beef down in the middle of the vegetables. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. You will know the meat is done when it easily shreds apart when pulled between two forks. Turn your slow cooker to the warm setting (or off if you don’t have a warm setting) and scoop out the beef with a slotted spoon. Shred the beef using two forks, then return the shredded beef to the slow cooker. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To warm your tortillas, wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave on high for 1 minute. To serve, place some of the shredded beef in the middle of a tortilla. Drizzle with crema and top with other toppings

|| P I C K L E D  R E D  O N I O N S ||

Via David Lebovitz

- 3/4 cup (180ml) white vinegar

- 3 tablespoons (50gr) sugar

- pinch of salt

- 1 bay leaf

- 5 allspice berries

- 5 whole cloves

- a small, dried chili pepper ( I didn't have a dried chili pepper so I used about 1/2 teaspoon chili powder)

- 1 large red onion, peeled, and thinly sliced into rings

In a small, non-reactive saucepan, heat the vinegar, sugar, salt, seasonings and chili until boiling. Add the onion slices and lower heat, then simmer gently for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Transfer the onions and the liquid into a jar then refrigerate until ready to use. Storage: The onions will keep for several months, but I find they’re best the week they’re made.