Pulled Beef (Barbacoa Style for Tacos and Bowls)

Pulled beef barbacoa with cilantro and lemon wedges as garnish in a braising dish.

5 from 2 votes

Pulled Beef (Barbacoa Style for Tacos and Bowls)

Pulled Beef Barbacoa is an incredibly delicious and comforting recipe that you’ll come back to time and time again. It’s spicy and savory and the long braise gives it depth of flavor.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3 15

Total Time3 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: people

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $20

Equipment

Dutch oven or braising pan

Ingredients

Braising Liquid

1 Yellow onion - Peeled and cut in half
6-8 Garlic cloves - Skin on
½ cup Dried chiles - - Use a combination of dried Mexican chiles like guagillo, pasilla, de arbol and cascabel – see note
¼ cup Chipotle peppers in adobo - ¼- ½ of a can – see note
1 tbsp Dried oregano
2 tsp Ground cumin
2 tsp Ground coriander
⅛ tsp Ground clove
2 cups Beef stock - More may be needed during the braise
2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar

Rest of the Ingredients

3 lbs Chuck roast - Cut into large 2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
3 Bay leaves

Garnish

Lime wedges and fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

Toast the chiles and aromatics. Place a cast iron pan or comal on medium heat. Toast the onion halves and garlic cloves (with peel on). They will take longer than the chiles. Using scissors, remove and discard the chile stems and seeds. Toast the chiles on the hot pan. Be careful, they will burn quickly. The chiles only need a minute or less.
Prep braising liquid. To a blender, add the charred onion, peeled charred garlic and chile peppers. Add the chipotles in adobo, oregano, cumin, coriander, and clove. Add the beef stock and apple cider vinegar.
Blend on high. Blend until you have a very smooth liquid.
Season the beef. Season the beef cubes on all sides generously with salt and pepper. Tip: For this amount of beef, I would start with 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. You can always add more salt later.
Sear. Place a braising pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil to the pot. When the oil is hot, sear the cubed beef on all sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Avoid crowding the pan. You may need to do this in batches.
Add the liquid. Pour the cooking liquid from the blender over the seared beef in the braising pot or Dutch oven. Add the bay leaves.
Braise. Preheat your oven to 325F/160C. Cover the pot with a lid and place it in the oven to slow cook for up to 3 hours. Check on the pot after 1-2 hours. If you find that the liquid is getting too thick or that the pot is scorching, add another cup of beef stock or water. The beef will be ready when it is tender and falls apart easily.
Shred. Let the beef rest for a few minutes before shredding it with two forks or with tongs. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

Notes

Refer to the post above for step-by-step recipe photos.

Ingredient Notes:

Beef: I recommend using a tough cut of beef with good marbling. A beef chuck roast works really well here as it will have enough fat in it to keep the dish juicy.
Ground Spices: This recipe uses several common spices like ground cumin, ground coriander, oregano, and cloves. Be careful with the clove! You only need a tiny bit of it.
Whole Spice: I like adding a couple of bay leaves to all my braises.
Dry Chiles: I am using a combination of Guajillo chiles, chile de arbol, and Pasilla Chile. The combination you use is up to you, but the goal here is to incorporate some dry Mexican chiles in the cooking liquid. Dry Mexican chiles are sold in bags at all Latin markets. You will also find them at many if not most grocery stores in the international aisle.
Chipotles: For a smoky and spicy kick, I am also using chipotles in adobo. These chipotles are sold in small cans, also at your local Latin market or well-stocked grocer. They are delicious. They are a must in this recipe.
Vinegar: A little apple cider vinegar helps round out the flavor profile of the braising liquid. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use red wine vinegar or even distilled white vinegar.

Other additions to the braising liquid: a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce or Maggie sauce, ancho chili powder, and tomato paste.

Serve with warm corn tortillas, Mexican pickled onions, creamy chipotle sauce, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime. Many more serving ideas are listed above in the blog post!

Nutrition