braising beef

Braising beef, cut into meaty chunks, slow cooked in a well seasoned gravy and served over rice or egg noodles.

Crockpot Beef Tips

(3-5 pound) braising roast (see note)

black pepper,

Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama)

canola oil

beef broth

water

wine,

(or equivalent) brown gravy mix

thyme

Worcestershire sauce

sauce,

rice noodles

cornstarch and water,

Make these tacos from the Jalisco region of Mexico by braising beef in a rich charred tomato sauce, flavoured with three types of chilli, pulled then stuffed into tortillas. Dip into the smoky cooking juices and consider it taco night done right

Birria tacos

dried Ancho chilli

Chipotle chilli

dried Guajillo chilli

onion

tomatoes

garlic

cumin seeds

cinnamon

cloves

oregano

tsp malt vinegar

bay leaves

beef

vegetable oil

chicken stock

tortillas

coriander

onions

grated mozzarella

limes quartered

jalapeños thinly sliced

Heat a frying pan over a high heat. Dry fry the three types of chilli, onion, tomatoes and garlic until lightly blistered. Add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick and cloves for the final 30 seconds until the spices have released their aroma.

Put the chillies in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to soak for 10 mins until soft then pull off the stems and discard any seeds. Save the soaking water.

Put the chillies, cumin seeds, blistered onion, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, vinegar and a splash of the chilli soaking water, roughly 50ml, in a high-powered food processor and blend until smooth. Season to taste with sea salt then pour over the beef in a non-metallic bowl and leave to marinate for a minimum of 4 hrs or ideally overnight in the fridge.

The next day, remove the beef from the marinade, scraping off as much marinade as possible. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large casserole dish and fry the beef until evenly browned. Add the marinade, cinnamon stick, cloves and bay leaves to the pan and cover with chicken stock so the beef is fully submerged, adding a splash of water if needed. Bring to the boil then simmer for 3-4 hrs over a medium heat until the beef pulls apart easily with two forks. Alternatively, cook over a very low heat for 6-8 hrs for a more intense braise. Stir occasionally to check the sauce isn’t catching on the base of the pan, adding a splash of water if needed.

Once braised, discard the cinnamon stick and bay, and use a slotted spoon to remove the beef to a bowl and roughly pull apart with two forks. Add enough of the cooking liquor to generously coat the beef, tossing to combine, and season to taste.

To serve, warm the tortillas for 20 seconds in the microwave until soft, then fill with shredded beef, a little coriander, onion and mozzarella. Fold over to create a half moon and fry in batches in a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat for 1-2 mins on each side until the tortilla is crisp and the cheese has melted. Serve with a bowl of gravy for dipping and extra coriander, onion, lime and jalapeños for everyone to help themselves.

Top 2 braising beef recipes from across the web

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Crockpot Beef Tips

Birria tacos

Top 2 braising beef recipes from across the web

The most viewed braising beef recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Crockpot Beef Tips

Birria tacos

The most viewed braising beef recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine