Barbacoa II

I've been making barbacoa for quite some time in my crockpot until my husband made Rick Bayless' braised short ribs~then everything changed. I have taken that process & ingredients, merged it with mine & refined my Barbacoa II. I'm excited to share this recipe with you because we've never looked back. Not joking, this will be your favorite shredded beef filling for LIFE! 

INGREDIENTS:

4-6 lbs Chuck Roast, all sides seasoned with salt

Pork lard (bacon fat or oil)

1 medium onion in 1/2 slices

6 cloves garlic

1/2 bottle of beer

28 oz can whole tomatoes

1 lb roasted green chiles, sliced

Chili powder

Cumin

Salt

DIRECTIONS:

Start with the lard in your dutch oven or deep pot...good for the stove top & oven.

Season your roast & sear it on all sides.

Set aside. Hello...They already look gorgeous. See, sear them well - until nice and golden brown. 

Add your onion & sauté until also golden brown & delicious. I have also been known to sneak more pork lard in at this step. When the onion is golden brown, add the 6 garlic cloves (chopped - or through your garlic press). Give the garlic 30 sec in the hot pot til you can smell it, but not too long or it will burn & become bitter. 

Ah, next add 1/2 of a beer & the can of tomatoes. You'll bring this to a simmer..

Chop your green chiles..If you're not familiar with roasting a pound of green chiles, you could use a canned. We stock up in the fall & freeze 1 lb bags. This year we froze 9 bushels which is roughly 72 lbs. That's another story for another day.

As the roasts are resting, I rub them down with chili powder & cumin. There's no measurement here. Just go for it & coat them on all sides. 

Then tuck those darlings back into your pot. 

Place in a 300 degree oven for 6 hrs. Check it at 4 hours & turn the roasts at some mid point. 

If you don't have 6 hrs, kick it up to 325 for 4. No sweat. But, the longer the better! 

In the last hour, shred the meat & lower the oven temp to 170 to hold until your ready to eat. 

OMG. No, for real. This will be your favorite barbacoa ever. Not even kidding. 

Prepare a bowl of chopped white onion (rinsed in cold water) & cilantro...along with lime wedges. This fresh topping brightens the taco & takes it to the next level.

Serve with whatever else you can pull together! 

Check out my other recipes to accompany: 

Fresh brothy beans

Auntie's Mexican tomato Rice

Fresh tortillas

Roasted salsa

ENJOY and share your pics with me when you make it!

xo Momma xo

Mexican Pasta!

I stumbled upon this dish one night when there seemed to be NO food in the house & I add to be creative. This is improv to the max & it turned out fantastic! 

INGREDIENTS:
1 14 oz can diced tomato
1/2 can chipotles pureed ( 2 chipotles in adobo w/ 1-2 T adobo sauce...add more or less depending on your preference of spiciness)
1/2 small white onion
2 Garlic cloves, minced
Splash of good tequila
Swirl of Whipping Cream
16 Medium shrimp, uncooked, deveined & fresh or defrosted
1 lb Penne pasta, uncooked
Fresh cilantro
Queso Fresco

DIRECTIONS:

Sauté the onion in olive oil until nicely golden

Add the garlic & cook it for 30 sec....until you smell it. Don't leave it!

Toss in the can of tomatoes, with the juices & cook on medium heat until slightly reduced

Add the chipotles & finish the simmer

*At this point, get your penne boiling in salted water....set the timer for 11 minutes.

[Back to the Sauce mmmm....]

As the sauce begins to thicken, add a good glug of tequila to the sauce. Keep simmering...

...you want the uncooked "heat" of the tequila to cook out.

Now...(almost done).. take the whipping cream & give it a swirl in the pan.

This is a good time to also season it - give it a good pinch of kosher salt & cracks of pepper

Almost lastly, tuck the shrimp in the sauce to cook until pink & curled...but not tough & too curled.

As the shrimp is finishing, which is only a few minutes...Chop your cilantro & crumble your cheese for your finishing touch..

Time to plate! Let's take one more look. Holy moly. This was delish. Please go make it. GO!

When you do, share a pic with me! 

Mexican pasta is where it's AT! 

Salsa for a CROWD!

INGREDIENTS:

6 lb can of Whole TOMATOES [THE HUGE Costco or Sams can] 
16 cloves of GARLIC (roasted - directions below)
1 (7oz) can of CHIPOTLES in adobo
1 medium white ONION chopped finely & rinsed in cold water
2 squeezed LIMES
1 bunch of chopped CILANTRO

2 tsp kosher salt (add more to taste)

DIRECTIONS:

Pulse the tomatoes smooth in a food processor & pour them into a large serving bowl. 

Roast the garlic. Don't be afraid that there are 16 cloves. They are necessary to this recipe!

*to roast garlic: Place foil on a pan. Set heat to medium-high. Place skin-on garlic on plan. Turn often until skin is fairly blackened & inside is soft & smells delish...this could take 15-20 minutes.

RECIPE CONTINUED..
Peel the garlic & pulse them into a pulp with the chipotles

Add to the bowl of tomatoes

[Prep the remaining ingredients & add to the bowl]

Chop the onion into a fine dice & rinse it in cold water, in a strainer. [this takes away the fiery, over powering onion + onion breath issue] :D

Squeeze the 2 limes completely

Rinse & chop the cilantro
2 tsp salt (add more to taste)

[yields about 14 Cups]

Stir & eat! If you're able to put it in the fridge to meld the flavors - 20 min, even better. 

That's it!!! GO - Make it! Take 1/2 to your party & leave 1/2 at home....or take it all & send all of your friends home with a cup! 

Happy dipping! 

xo Momma :) 

**the recipe is adapted from a combo of different Rick Bayless salsas**

Stuffed Sopapillas w/ Steak & Potato

Oh auntie...she could have a waiting room filled with people waiting for her delicious, wonderful food. I learn so much from her & had a blast capturing her step by steps. I think it was exactly a year ago that I took the kids to her house on a Saturday, while I would be rehearsing & having church. She sent me away with two of these stuffed Sopapillas in foil & I've wanted them ever since. Now I need to try to make them myself & I think you should too. 

You've got to start with tortilla dough...(click HERE for measurements)...and the filling...for now, refer to my beef & potato filling. Auntie's was steak, but I missed that part. 

Here it goes!!! 

Prepare the dough on the tortilla instructions until you're at this step.

cover them & keep them warm & moist

set filling aside to be coolish as you add it to the dough

make a disc out of the ball of dough

Roll starting in the middle of the disc, lightly up. 

Turn a 6th, lightly roll up, turn a 6th, lightly roll up etc.

Place filling in the center

Fold over bottom & top

Fold over sides

Place seem side down

Place darlings under a towel to stay warm & moist

Have family off to the side playing Light Sabers 

Place in oil seem side down

Whoops. Flipped to early & beginning to come apart.

Totally gonna taste good anyway, You know it!

Good assembly line going...

That's green chile in the back. Going on top at the finish.

Yes. The pile is building.

Sophia (age 4) ran by, smashed this one & ran off.

Still gonna be delish. 

Building....

Happy Birthday Art! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the party...

there's AUNTIE!

 My beautiful sis-in-law Jen..

Art (Bompa) & Jackson! 

 CHEESE!

Best part...Phia painting nails. Like everyone's nails...

...including Micah's. 

"ooooh! Powish!" 

Jen's amazing carrot cake..

Happy Birthday to YOU! 

xo