Recipe: Shredded Beef Tacos
The crock pot has always been my friend, and a lot of times I forget that it’s not just great for cold winter eves with soups and stews, but it’s great for days that you are busy all day, and want your dinner ready when you return. The cut of meat is beef brisket–it has nice marbling throughout and lends itself well to slow cooking. This recipe is great for kids because they get to choose whatever toppings they’d like and the meat is very tender–both kids wolfed them down without complaint. They prefer soft tortillas, but chips and hard taco shells are fine too. The seasonings are rubbed on before placing in the crock pot, and the meat is quickly seared to give it more flavor and seal in the juices. The seasoning is basically taco seasoning that you can substitute an envelope if you wish, but I prefer to make my own to control the salt and heat.
Shredded Beef Tacos
- 3 – 4 pound beef brisket (not the corned beef style, just plain)
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced vertically
- 1 bell pepper–red’s my favorite, but you can use whatever you like
- 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
- juice of two large limes–about 1/4 cup
Mix together seasonings and rub evenly over both sides of the meat.
Don’t worry about trimming the fat on the meat, it will help tenderize it during cooking. Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat, coat with vegetable oil.
Place the seasoned meat in the pan with the hot oil. Sear quickly for a few
minutes, just until the meat has a nice browning to it–about 3 minutes or so per side.
Mix together onion, bell pepper, garlic and lime zest. Place browned meat into the crock pot. Lay onion mixture over
top, and pour lime juice over the whole mixture. Cook on high 4 – 5 hours, or low from 8 – 10 hours.
About half hour before serving, I shredded the meat to let the juices come together, and simmered until I was ready to serve.
Our family likes these in flour tortillas, but you can serve on hard taco shells, over nacho chips or even over salad greens. Put together your favorite toppings and enjoy!
