Braised Beef? It is possible to prepare a delicious taco filling using the slow cooker! Do you ever just have those days when the slow cooker is your best kitchen appliance? I don’t remember many crockpot meals as a kid, except for the shredded braised beef my Mom would prepare for tacos or tortas. It was simplicity at it’s best! Seasoned with just salt, pepper and garlic powder, the beef was shredded and served with warm corn tortillas, avocado slices and a freshly made bowl of pico de gallo salsa. On the weekends my dad would buy warm pan bolillo(rolls) from la panaderia(Mexican bakery) and we would make the best tortas (Mexican sandwich).
When We Enjoy A Recipe, We Revisit Over And Over!
I originally published this recipe on February 15, 2014! Almost nine years ago! In all honesty, I don’t use my slow cooker that often. Especially since I began using the pressure cooker twelve years ago. Chile ancho sauce in any variation is one of my top favorites for many recipes.
I Cannot Help Myself, But I Love Tacos!
If they made me choose between giving up tacos or sandwiches, goodbye sandwich! Lol! I do prefer a fresh made corn tortilla over bread any day! A warm corn tortilla with a sprinkle of salt makes me happy! Not full, but happy. All in moderation of course.
When In Doubt, Reach Out To Your Followers!
This past week I asked my followers on Facebook if they wanted to see me share a video of this easy recipe? But, I gave them a choice on the cooking methods, which were slow cooker, pressure cooker or stove top. Slow cooker method beat out the other two.
I Still Love The Original Photos!
I thought I should leave the original photos of the tacos I prepared with this delicious recipe. Those bright red chile infused tortillas with fresh salsa Mexicana(pico de gallo) make me hungry every time! And if you can swing a pot of charro beans and Mexican rice, that’s a complete meal!
I am having such a good time revisiting my older recipes!!
My recipes are like my babies, ha, ha, ha! No, seriously, they are. I have learned so much more in the past ten or more years of food blogging. My goal is to make it easy for you all to follow the recipes with some visuals that help. Guess I could just leave them as is, but I know they could be better with a little work and effort on my part. We all need a new look now and then, right, lol!
Do You Have To Use Flank Steak?
No! I will splurge on flank or skirt steak once in a while, but there are other cuts of beef that will work as well. Top round roast, chuck roast and tri tip will work. But, what am I saying, all beef seems pretty expensive these days. When I think of the hefty cost of going out to dinner, I’d rather spend the money on a home cooked meal. Most times there are leftovers! Bonus! This recipe works well with pork shoulder/butt, boneless country pork ribs, chicken thighs or whole pieces of chicken. Delicious!
In the video, I did not show where I seasoned the beef! Ooops! That’s the beauty of editing. I will load the new video soon!
You could prepare the chile ancho sauce ahead of time and freeze it! In my experience working with dried chile sauce recipes is that the flavors improve after a month in the freezer.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef skirt or flank steak sliced into 2 inch pieces
- Salt, to taste
- 1 1/2 tsps Pepper
- 1 1/2 tsps Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds or ground
- 3-4 tbsps Avocado or Olive oil
- 3 roma tomato, 212 grams
- 1/2 white onion, 100 grams
- 3 cloves garlic. 22 grams
- 2 serrano peppers, 26 grams
- 5 chile ancho, 85-90 grams stems and seeds removed
- 1 1/2 cups water or beef broth
- 8 oz dry red wine, Mexican beer or beef broth
Instructions
- Season the beef evenly with 1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper and garlic powder all over. Set aside. Roughly chop the tomatoes, onion, garlic and chile peppers. Transfer them to the bottom of the slow cooker, season lightly with salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet, preheat 4 tablespoons of avocado or olive oil to medium heat for 3 minutes. Sear and brown the pieces of beef for a few minutes per side. Add the the slow cooker as you cook them.
- Add the chile ancho to some simmering water. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes. Drain all the water from chile ancho and transfer to the blender. Add 1 cup water or broth(if available), 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Blend on high until smooth. Taste for salt. Pour ancho sauce into slow cooker and stir to combine.
- In that same pan that you browned the beef, add the red wine(or beer) to de-glaze the pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper, cook for a few minutes. Pour into slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on for high for 4 hours on high or on low for 6 hours. Beef should be easy to shred with two forks. Before serving, remove beef from slow cooker and shred coarsely. Transfer beef back to slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Set to warm setting.
- Before serving, remove beef from slow cooker and shred coarsely. Transfer beef back to slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Set to warm setting. Serve with warm tortillas and your favorite salsas, fresh or cooked.
Notes
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Where can I find the seasonings for all your recipies?
Also if my market doesn’t carry a certain pepper can I substitute it with another?
Chantal, specifically which seasonings are you asking about? If you live near a Mexican market, most spices and chiles can be found there. But sometimes you may have to go online for certain products. The peppers can be substituted with others. You just have to be aware that they vary in heat level.