These barbacoa tacos are packed with smoky shredded beef that's perfectly tender. Spices like cumin complement the chiles, while oregano and bay leaves add an earthiness to this recipe.
Ingredients
- ripe plum tomatoes: 2 piece
- white onion, quartered: 1 piece
- garlic: 2 clove (peeled)
- chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: 4 piece
- kosher salt: 3 tsp
- ½ teaspoons chili powder: 1 piece
- ground cumin: 1 tsp
- black pepper: 0.5 tsp (freshly ground)
- beef chuck roast, cut into 6-equal sized cubes: 1 piece (3 pound)
- olive oil: 2 Tbsp
- water: 1 cup
- light brown sugar: 1 Tbsp
- oregano: 2 tsp (dried)
- bay leaves: 3 piece (fresh)
- lime juice: 1 Tbsp
- corn tortillas, warmed:
- ripe avocados: 2 piece (sliced)
- bunch radishes: 0.5 piece (sliced)
- fresh cilantro: 2 Tbsp (to taste, chopped)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high. Arrange whole tomatoes, onions (cut-side down), and garlic in the dry skillet in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Cook, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides, about 6 minutes for the garlic and about 12 minutes for the onions and tomatoes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Transfer charred vegetables to a blender and add chipotle peppers. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Stir salt, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper together in a small bowl; season beef evenly with salt mixture.
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Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef in batches and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer browned beef to a large plate. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Pour water into the Dutch oven and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in onion-tomato mixture, brown sugar, oregano, and bay leaves. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer.
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Nestle beef back into pot and cover. Cook, stirring and re-nestling beef occasionally (about every 20 to 30 minutes), until beef is tender and pulls easily apart with a fork, 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours and 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves and discard. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Remove beef from Dutch oven, place on cutting board; shred beef using 2 forks. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Return beef to the Dutch oven, add lime juice, and stir to combine.
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Serve in corn tortillas with avocado, radishes, and cilantro.
