Beef Barbacoa Tacos with Sweet Pickled Onions

  

I tried doing a pot roast in my Instant Pot/Electric Pressure Cooker at the weekend.  It was okay, but I had to cook it twice as long as the recipe suggested.  I think maybe it was because I used a rolled brisket.  Perhaps I will try it again another time, but with a different cut of beef  I might also cut it into smaller pieces instead of leaving it whole.  It was tender but not as tender as I wanted it to be.

 

I found myself with a fair quantity of leftover cooked roast that I needed to use up and we didn't really feel like hash or a pie, etc.  We I felt like making tacos! I adore Tex Mex food in every way shape or form.

 

This recipe is a combination of several recipes which I discovered online.  The Beef filling is an adaptation of one I found on Betty Crocker. 

 

It was for a beef taco filling created in an Instant Pot using stewing beef.  I adapted it for cooking in a saucepan or large skillet. If you don't have leftover roast beef, you could also use ground beef in its place, browning it along with the onions. 

 

The Pickled Onions are adapted from a recipe I found on David Lebovitz, which he adapted from Ms Glaze and Simply Recipes.  This wealth of sharing is one thing I love about the online cooking community.  We learn from and inspire each other.  Its a beautiful thing.

 

He had served them with Carnitas. I thought they would go well with these tacos. I was right. 

 

They are incredibly tasty with an eye-popping pink colour that is oh so, so, so pretty! 

 

The filling is very tasty also.  Not too spicy, just enough to wake up your tasty buds and say "¡Arriba, Arriba! ¡Ándale, Ándale!" 

 

I like to heat my tortillas over the open flame of a gas burner.  I read about doing that a year or so ago and it was a life-changer for me.  I have never done them any other way since.  They end up wow!

 

Lightly toasted, charred a bit, and beautifully soft for folding in something like tacos.  Seriously if you have never done this before, you need to try it!  Just take a pair of tongs and hold them over the open flame, first on one side and then the other. It only takes about 10 seconds per side. 

 

Once you have done this, you will never want to enjoy them any other way.  Trust me on this. 

 

In addition to the filling, pickled onions and tortillas I served grated cheese, salsa and sour cream.

  

These were totally fabulous!  We both ate three!  I thought I would only eat two, but I just could not resist one more!

Yield: 4 - 6Author: Marie Rayner

Beef Barbacoa Tacos with Sweet Pickled Onions

Something I came up with to use up leftover cooked roast beef.  These are delicious to say the least! You can make the onions up the day before if you wish. They will keep for quite a while. If you don't have any leftover roast beef, you can use ground beef and just cook as below.

ingredients:

• 1 TBS vegetable oil
• 1 pound leftover roast beef, cut into cubes
• 1 medium red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 240ml beef stock (1 cup)
• 1 TBS minced Chipotle chiles in adobe sauce
• 2 small cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix
• pinch salt

For the pickled onions:

• 180ml white vinegar (3/4 cup)
• 3 TBS caster sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 bay leaf, broken in half
• 5 whole allspice berries, bruised
• 5 whole cloves, bruised
• a pinch of dried chili flakes
• 1 large red onion, peeled, cut in half
• and then into half moons

To serve:

• 6-inch plain tortillas
• Dairy sour cream
• grated cheese (cheddar or jack)
• tomato salsa or picante sauce

instructions:

1. First make the pickled onions.  Place the vinegar, salt, sugar, spices, bay leaf and chili into a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Add the onion slices.  Stir to completely submerge. Remove from the heat and set aside.  Allow to cool completely before transferring all to a jar and refrigerating until ready to use.
2. To make the taco filling, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the chopped beef and onion. Cook and stir until the beef has begun to brown and the onions have softened without colouring. Add the remaining ingredients.  Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes. Shred the meat with two forks.
3. Heat the tortillas according to your favourite method.  Serve immediately with the hot meat filling, pickled onions and any accompaniments you enjoy.

Created using The Recipes Generator

 

I really hope that you will give these a go the next time you have leftover roast beef that you are wanting to use up.  If you are a fan of Tex Mex, you will quite simply adore these.  I love using up leftovers in an interesting and delicious way.  Its a good thing, not to coin a phrase from Martha or anything. Delicious, colourful and no waste here!  Bon Appetit! 

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Spiced Pear Chutney

 

All the pears are ripening on our tree now and I am in a rush to get as much done with them as I can before its too late.  I made the crumble the other day and then I made this delicious Spiced Pear Chutney!  I call it Autumn in a Jar!

 

We love chutneys in this house.  In fact chutney was one of the first things I learnt to make when I went to Culinary College. It is a very British thing. I think I could make a chutney out of just about anything.

 

A chutney is a spicy condiment/relish which contains the perfect balance of sweet, sour and spicy!  Mango chutney is a favourite, but there is no end to the types of chutney you can create if you stick to the rule of thumb that whereas relishes mostly contain vegetables, a chutney is largely based on a fruit.  And you want a perfect balance of the trinity of chutney which is as I said above, sweet, sour and spicy!

 

This one is largely composed of pears and onions with some dried cranberries. You could also use sultanas if you wished.  DO be sure to use firm pears, not soft ones. Mine were not very ripe which is perfect for chutney as they held up their shape well in the long cooking process.  You want to be able to tell that there is pears in it, or why make it?

 

The sour comes from the use of Cider Vinegar!  I love Cider vinegar and it goes very well with the fruity orchard-infused flavour of pears.  Apples and pears, pears and apples  . . .

  

There is plenty of brown sugar in this chutney, which adds an almost sweet smokey depth to the flavour and then there is the spice  . . .

Ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon and  . . .  for some heat, ground cayenne pepper!  I used 1/2 tsp for the while recipe, which might seem like a lot, but trust me when I say it balances out well in the mix. You want your chutney to have a bit of a kick without going over the top.

 

We are really going to be enjoying this over the winter with all sorts.  Perfect on cheese trays, in sandwiches, with cold meats and . . . .  I will let you in on a little secret here . . .  a dollop or two added to a stew, or soup, or . . .  yes  . . .  Swiss Steak, goes fabulously and will have your guests and family wondering just what is that special ingredient you use to make your cookin' taste so good!

 

Yield: 3 PintsAuthor: Marie Rayner

Spiced Pear Chutney

prep time: 35 minscook time: 1 hour and 45 minstotal time: 1 hours and 80 mins

Something delicious to make with your pear glut.

ingredients:

2 pounds firm pears, peeled, cored and diced

1 1/2 pound brown onions, peeled and diced

2 fat cloves garlic, peeled and minced

150g dried cranberries (1 cup)

400g soft light brown sugar (2 cups, packed)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp salt

710ml cider vinegar (3 cups)

160g tomato puree/paste (5 1/2 ounces)

instructions:

Prepare the pears and onions. Place them into a large deep saucepan. 
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Add the remaining
ingredients.  Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer.  Cook for 1
 to 1 1/2 hours until it is the consistency you want, stirring it
often.  Ladle into hot sterilised pint jars, wipe jar rims, and seal.

Created using The Recipes Generator

  

Pear Chutney  . . .  so delicious and it will have your kitchen/home smelling great for a few days after cooking it!  Bon Appetit!

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