Shredded Beef Tacos (Slow Cooker)

 

The recipe I am sharing today is loosely based on one I found on Gimme Some Oven, who borrowed her recipe from .My Kitchen Addiction.  And I will wager that she probably was inspired from somewhere else.

 

You know that old saying  . . .  "There is nothing new under the sun."  This is one I love about the food blogging community. We are always sharing with and inspiring each other.

 

I saved a few steps in the recipe. They rubbed the meat in the herbs and spices and then browned it first before putting it into the slow cooker. 

 

I didn't have time for faffing about with browning and such.  I just put everything into the slow cooker and cooked it.

 

I placed the onions and garlic on the bottom of the slow cooker and topped it with the meat . . .

  

Then I stirred everything else together and poured it around and on top of the meat.  That's it  . . .

 

Simple.  Easy. Delicious.  You can either cook it on high for 3 to 4 hours, or low for 6 to 8 hours  . . .

 

Once the meat is tender you take it out of the slow cooker and shred it with two forks.  I also cut into it with my kitchen scissors so that it was more chunky and less strand-like.

 

I have a think about eating meat that is in strands . . . it almost  makes me gag. I would rather have chunks  . . .

 

I used soft white flour tortillas for them.  The small ones.  I like to toast them over the hot flame of a gas burner  . . .

 

But you heat them whichever way that you prefer  . . .

 

We enjoy them with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, sliced black olives, lettuce and grated cheese . . .

  

Any leftovers can be used to make quesadillas, or burritos, maybe even empanadas . . .  if you enjoy these even half as much as we did, you are in for a real treat!

Yield: 3 - 4

Author: Marie Rayner

Shredded Beef Tacos

Fork tender beef that works very well in tacos, and would indeed also be great in burritos or quesadillas

ingredients:

• 2 pounds Beef Brisket in one piece
• 1 TBS mild chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp coriander leaf
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 240ml beef stock (1 cup)
• 2 TBS tomato puree (tomato paste)
• 1 tsp Chipotle in adobe paste
• 1 juice of one lime
• 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and  minced
• salt and black pepper to taste

You will also need:

• warmed small soft tortillas
• your favourite taco toppings (cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, sliced black olives, lettuce, spring onions, etc.

instructions:

How to cook Shredded Beef Tacos

1. Place the chopped onion in the bottom of the slow cooker along with the garlic cloves.  Place the meat on top of these.   Whisk together the stock, tomato puree, all of the herbs and seasonings and lime juice.  Pour over and around the meat.  Cover tightly and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 8 hours.  When the meat is falling apart, remove from the slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Ladle some of the hot juices over top and serve warm, with warmed tortillas and your favourite taco toppings.  Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #EnglishKitchen

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This is the perfect meal when you are busy doing other things, or are feeling too lazy to really cook.  Its nice to have something like this up your sleeve that you can just pop into the slow cooker and you just know your family is going to enjoy it.  In my family Tex Mex was always King!  They loved it!

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Caramelized Onion Pot Roast

 

I have to confess to having a certain weakness for Pot Roast.  When it comes to roast beef, I really only enjoy a Prime Rib roasted in the oven, otherwise I like a Pot Roast.  When we go to a carvery, I NEVER have the roast beef. It is always over-cooked, dry and they always cut it wrong. Meat should be cut against the grain, not with the grain. You would think they would know that  Meat cut with the grain is TOUGH.  In any case, its not Prime Rib, so meh . . .  not interested.

 

I talk to my mother in Canada every Sunday afternoon, and when I am talking to her, inevitably the conversation comes around to what my sister is cooking for Sunday Dinner.  More often than not it is a Pot Roast, and I find myself wishing I had done a Pot Roast.  This week I decided to do just that.

 

I decided to do it in the slow cooker, so I actually began it Saturday evening.  I sent Todd to the market on Saturday to buy a piece of rolled Brisket.  You can't beat a Brisket for pot roasting. You could also use a chuck roast if you wanted to.  Me, I like the Brisket! 

 

I showed him approximately the size of Brisket I wanted with my hands.  Inevitably he came home with one twice the size and grumbling about the cost.  LOL  Poor Todd, he can never get it just right! 

  

The recipe I used this time is slightly different than the one I usually use.  I had a bottle of Lager I wanted to use that I had been sent.  

 

Celia Organic Craft Czech Lager. CELIA is traditionally batch brewed in the cellars of a 14th century castle located in the historical town Žatec famous for growing the world renowned Saaz hop since 1004. Brewed for over 2 months which includes a 14 day open vat fermentation process ensuring only natural carbonation, CELIA is crafted to remove gluten through a de-glutenisation process which enables the brewery to use only quality local ingredients ensuring no substitutions are required. Organic. Gluten Free. Hand Crafted. It might seem like a bit of a waste to some for me to use this in a pot roast, but we don't drink alcohol for religious reasons, so using it in a pot roast was the perfect thing for me to do with it! 

 

I adapted the recipe from one I found in a Pillsbury Cookbook entitled Slow Cooker Recipes, published in 2003. I think this is the first recipe I have made from the book.  In our process of down-sizing I am going through all of my cookery books, checking to see if they are keepers or not. If I haven't cooked anything from them, they are going.  I kind of wanted to keep this one so thought I better cook something from it to help justify its presence!

  

I let it cook all night.  It does take 10 hours after the initial browning  of the meat, and I have to tell you, the tantalising smell of it woke me up really early in the morning. My goodness but it smelled delicious!  I immediately felt hungry!  

But, blah  . . .  I had to wait for dinner. 

 

Thankfully my slow cooker has a hold cycle on it where it keeps things warm. I did remove the roast and cover it for later.  It was well cooked by then. I only kept the juices warm.

 

Highly flavoured with onions and lager, and beef stock,  the juices also use brown sugar, cider vinegar and Dijon mustard, which I felt was a brilliant combination!

 

I always used to use dry onion soup mix to make my pot roasts, but lately over here that has been an impossible ingredient to find!  I don't know what is up with that! You used to be able to buy it??? 

  

In any case this was just as delicious as my original recipe for pot roast. We were both very pleased with it. The meat was moist and tender and the gravy was delicious!  You can't ask for more than that!!

Yield: 12Author: Marie Rayner

Caramelized Onion Pot Roast

This is the ultimate comfort food. Old fashioned and delicious, with a flavourful gravy. I like to serve mine with plenty of mash and two veg on the side.

ingredients:

1 TBS olive or vegetable oil

1 (2 KG) boneless beef roast for pot roasting (4 pounds)

(I like to use a rolled brisket)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

6 medium onions, peeled and sliced

360ml beef stock (1 1/2 cups)

180ml lager or non-alcoholic lager (3/4 cup)

2 TBS cider vinegar

2 TBS soft light brown sugar

3 TBS Dijon mustard

instructions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the beef and
brown it carefully on all sides, turning occasionally.  Season with the
salt and pepper.

Place the onions into a 3 1/2
to 6 quart (litre) slow cooker.  Place the beef roast on the onions.
Whisk together all of the remaining ingredients in a large beaker and
then pour over the beef and onions.  Cover tightly and cook on low for 8
 to 10 hours.

Remove the beef from the slow
cooker, along with the onions.  If desired thicken the juices with some
water shaken together in a jar with some flour. Cook on high for about
10 to 15 minutes.  Slice the beef and serve with the onions and gravy.

Note - You do not need to thicken the juices, but we prefer them thicker..

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I cheated and used frozen mash. I had cut up swede and carrots on Saturday night also, so I cooked them while Todd was having his Sunday afternoon nap and then I just mashed the swede and added some peas to the carrot. I also whip some milk and butter into the frozen mash (you cook it in the microwave)  It always comes out perfect.  This was a fabulous dinner and we have leftovers to enjoy for the next few days!  Bon Appetit! 

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Braised Brisket with Stout & Onions

 

Usually on Sunday if  I am on the ball, I will put something into the slow cooker for our dinner before I leave for church in the morning. Normally it will be red meat of some kind. To be honest I am not fond of chicken in the slow cooker. I find it almost gets over-cooked and I don't like the texture of it.  Beef on the other hand, or pork, lends itself quite well to being cooked in a slow cooker, especially the cheaper cuts.

 

I especially love Beef Brisket done in the slow cooker, either whole as a pot roast, or as I have done today, cut into chunks and as a stew.  Brisket is one of my favourite cuts of beef and is beautiful when prepared this way. 

 

And is is such a simple thing as well.  Cubes of brisket (I like to cut mine into 1 inch cubes) is tossed with well seasoned flour and then browned in a bit of oil, on top of the stove in a skillet.  Really brown it well on all sides. It is the colour from this initial browning that will help to colour your stew. 

 

The juices from the meat also caramelise a bit which adds flavour. Don't crowd the pan when you are browning.  Do it in batches if need be.  Crowding it means your meat won't brown properly.  Handy tip here. 

  

Onions and garlic are added as well as some stout (Guinness) and beef stock.  Stout makes for a lovely and richly flavoured gravy.  Pour it all into the slow cooker, and then let the slow cooker (crock pot) do the rest.

 

Six hours on low does the trick. You will have fork tender chunks of beef, in a really rich beautifully flavoured gravy  . . .  

 

And plenty of it . . .  and so beautiful spooned out over a lovely pile of creamy mash.  I cheat sometimes and use the frozen mash. Especially after church.  It is so simple to use and just as good as fresh mash. I add a bit of butter and cream to mine, which makes it even tastier.

 

Today I cooked English Petit Pois to serve with it, which really went down a real treat.  I love Petit Pois.  I always buy them. I like them a lot more than the regular ones!  So sweet and tender! 

  

The smell of this when it hits your nose as you walk back into your house immediately starts your taste buds to tingling and your mouth to watering.  You will hardly be able to wait until you have the rest of the meal ready before digging in, but you must  . . .

 

Trust me when I tell you. It is well worth the wait.  Well, well worth it  . . .

 

This is just so, so, so good.  I know it might seem like winter food to some, and yes, it is, but sometimes in the summer you get a cool day (like today) and you just crave something like this.  Today was the day. It went down a real treat!

 

*Braised Brisket with Stout & Onions*

Serves 4

Printable Recipe  

 

A delicious stew that cooks long and slow in a slow cooker. You can also do it in the oven if you wish or on top of the stove. I like to pop it into the slow cooker on Sunday mornings and then I have a delicious dinner waiting for us when we get home from church. I serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable. 

2 large onions, peeled and chopped

a few springs of thyme

1 bay leaf, broken in half

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

oil for browning

2 pounds beef brisket cut into chunks

6 TBS flour well seasoned with salt and black pepper

240ml Guinness/stout (1 cup)

240ml Beef stock (1 cup) 

 

  

Heat the oil (about 1 TBS) in a skillet with a heavy bottom.  Toss the beef with the seasoned flour. Shake off any excess and then brown the beef on all sides in the hot oil. You want it to have a good colour so do it in batches if need be.  Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant.  Add the beef stock and bring to the boil, stirring up any browned bits.  Pour the whole mixture into a medium sized slow cooker. Add the sprigs of thyme and the bay leaf.  Stir in the stout.  Cover and cook on low heat for about 6 hours, until the meat is tender and the gravy well flavoured. If need be you can thicken the gravy with a bit of flour shaken together with some cold water until smooth (about 1 TBS flour, and 120ml/1/2 cup water) pour this into the beef, give it a stir and cook on high for about 15 minutes until thickened.

Serve hot, spooned out onto a fluffy pile of mash with a vegetable on the side.

There has been a lot of talk about the undesirable look of "Brown" food in food photography. I don't know about you, but I see nothing undesirable about the looks of this at all. In fact it makes me hungry just seeing it.  Perhaps that's because I know how delicious it really is!  Bon Appetit!

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