Ultra-juicy Mexican pulled beef, tossed in a chipotle-spiced sauce! With a unique subtly spiced, tangy flavour, use this Beef Barbacoa for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, taquitos – the possibilities are endless. This is a slow cooker version that’s simple to put together. Which means … effortless. YES!

Ingredients

▢2kg / 4 lb beef cheeks , or chuck beef(see Note 1)
▢1 tsp salt , kosher/cooking
▢1 tsp black pepper
▢2 tbsp vegetable oil , for searing
▢4 bay leaves
Barbacoa Sauce:
▢4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (Note 2)
▢3/4 cup dark ale (beer), or low sodium beef broth/stock (Note 3)
▢1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
▢4 tbsp lime juice
▢6 garlic cloves
▢4 tsp ground cumin
▢2 tsp oregano
▢1/2 tsp ground cloves

Instructions

1. Cut beef: Cut large cheeks in half so you have around 12 – 15 pieces cheeks. If using chuck,
cut into 12 or so pieces.

2. Season: Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Brown beef: Heat oil in a large pot or skillet over high heat. Sear beef in batches, browning
aggressively all over. Place beef in slow cooker.

4. Blitz sauce: Place Barbacoa Sauce ingredients in a blender, food processor or similar (I use a
Nutribullet). Blend until smooth – it shouldn’t take long.

5. Slow cooker (see Note 4 for alt. cooking methods): Pour sauce over cheeks in slow cooker.
Add bay leaves. Arrange cheeks so they are submerged as much as possible. Don’t worry,
they will release juice as they cook and raise the liquid level.

6. Slow-cook for 8 hours on low. The beef should be effortless to shred when done.

7. Shred: Remove cheeks from slow cooker into a pan. Shred using 2 forks.

8. Sauce: Pour over 3 or 4 ladles of the sauce, then toss.

9. Serve: Use in tacos with taco fixings of choice! Pictured with Mexican Red Rice, Pickled Red
Cabbage for Tacos (in this Fish Tacos recipe) and Lime Crema (Note 5).

Notes

1. Beef cut – For the most superior result, you can’t beat beef cheeks. The ample connective
tissue of this cut breaks down into soft, sticky gelatine, giving the beef richness and juiciness you
just don’t get with beef chuck. However, chuck does make a fine alternative – look for a wellmarbled meat!

2. Chipotles in adobo – These are chipotles (dried, smoked jalapneos) in a flavoured red sauce
that is quite spicy. Usually found in cans (sometimes jars). Widely available in the US, and
nowadays in Australia too. Check the Mexican section of large grocery stores like Coles & Woolies.
Freeze leftover chipotles: Use a small ziplock bag, arranging chillies in one layer so it’s easy to
break a bit off to use as needed.
Substitute in place of the chipotles in adobo: 1 1/2 tbsp chipotle powder + 1 1/2 tsp SMOKED
paprika powder + 2 tbsp sriracha (YES, really, it’s pretty close to Adobo Sauce!).

3. Beer really gives the broth an extra edge in flavour and a rich dark colour to the sauce. The beer
melds into the sauce so it doesn’t taste like beer, and the alcohol cooks away. Sub with lowsodium beef stock/broth.

4. Other cook methods:
Slow cooker on high: 6 hours
Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker: 1 hr on high
Oven: 160°C/320°F (140°C fan) for 3 to 3 1/2 hours (cover tightly with foil)

5. Lime Cream – excellent creamy sauce for tacos! Just mix:
1/2 cup sour cream (full fat)
2 tsp lime juice (adj to taste)
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/8 tsp garlic, finely grated using microplane (or garlic crusher)
Pinch of salt
Set aside for at least 15 minutes. Thickness varies depending on sour cream brand – if you want it
thinner to drizzle, use either milk or water (1 tsp at a time, to be safe!). Keeps 3 – 4 days in fridge
(might need spritz of fresh lime to brighten).

6. Storage – Like all braises, this one keeps for many days (up to 5). Also suitable for freezing.

7. Recipe source – With thanks to my friend Kevin from Kevin is Cooking for this recipe! He knows
his Tex-Mex, that’s for sure!

8. Nutrition – Calculated per serving (10 servings total)

Nutrition

Calories: 372cal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g |
Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 419mg | Potassium: 653mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 189IU |
Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 5mg