As you probably know by now, we’re pretty proud of our Whole Animal Butcher counter. We source high quality, grass fed, pasture raised steer from the nearby Slope Farms. And while we try not to let a single scrap go to waste, this is a real challenge in the summer months. Many of our customers are looking for steaks that are easy to throw on the grill, but not necessarily braising cuts from other parts of the steer. Winter is a perfect time to break out that Instapot and make Lena’s Barbacoa recipe.
[ Order the ingredients here! ]
Barbacoa Beef
Makes enough meat to stuff 32- 40 tacos. Total time: 90 minutes·
- 2 cans of chipotle in adobo sauce
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (include stems)
- 1 bunch of fresh oregano, coarsely chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled and cloves smashed
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- Juice of 3 limes
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 pounds beef brisket
- 2 cups stock or water
- 1 tablespoon high temp oil
- 3 bay leaves
Place the chipotle peppers and their sauce, cilantro, oregano, onion, garlic, clove, cumin, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, lime juice, and cider vinegar in a blender and put aside. Use the remainder of the salt to season the meat. If necessary, cut the meat into a few pieces to better fit into the pot.
Heat the pressure cooker on the sauté setting. When it’s hot, add the oil and brown the meat. Do not overcrowd the pot. “You want a dark brown sear and you want to avoid steaming the meat ” -says Lena. Add the sauce from the blender and bay leaves, cover and cook on high pressure until the meat is tender and easily shreds—about 1 hour. In the same pot, using 2 forks, pull the meat apart. Do not discard the cooking liquid or the fat; you will need liquid to keep the barbacoa warm and moist (though not swimming in it), the fat is useful for frying up crispy barbacoa in a pan.