TACO 2?

I’m back and better than ever. And what better way to bring in this “rebirth” than with tacos. Yes, I’m making tacos—but not just any tacos. I’m making the cool tacos. The tacos you wish you got instead of that $40 UberEats delivery that you drunkenly ordered after your 7th Cutwater. What makes these tacos so cool is that you’re in the house, yes, but they’re also simple. You can eat these every week and make them while you’re watching Stranger Things recaps in the background. You can make them while you pretend to work for the second half of the day. You can make them when you’re sad, mad or madly in love.

Now I’m not exactly sure when I had my first taco—it might have been at infancy. Perhaps I had them in another life as well; however, everyone knows how a taco makes them feel. They’re delicious. They’re normally light. A heavy amount of garnish and protein of choice nestled inside a beautiful corn tortilla breezes into your mouth and only improves with every bite. Tacos are life changing. I dare anyone to challenge that statement. And, because I love you all, I will be spending the entire month of July making several kinds of tacos. Club is going up on a Tuesday (and by the slim chance it’s not a Tuesday you can just pretend).

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barbacoa

ingredients:

the beef:

• 3-4lbs. beef brisket (I got mine from Costco—saving the 2nd half for BBQ), sliced evenly into large cubes

• 4c beef stock

• 1T ground cumin

• 1T ground cloves

• 3-6T salt

• 4 bay leaves

• 4 guajillo chiles

• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled + smashed

• 2 cinnamon stick

• 1T apple cider vinegar

• 1-2c water

• 2-3T canola oil

• salt & pepper to taste

  Optional: 1T soy sauce

garnish:

• 1/4 white onion, diced + cilantro, chopped OR pickled onions + cilantro, chopped

• queso fresco, crumbled (You can use cotija from TJ’s instead)

• salsa verde (I used a brand from TJ’s)

• fresh lime, sliced/quartered

• tortillas (duh), warmed

Helpful items:

• large dutch oven or oven-safe large pot

• parchment paper

• baking sheet

• large kitchen forks OR kitchen tongs (break up meat)

• large mixing bowl

recipe (barbacoa):

1. Set oven to 325F.

2. Place dutch oven on stove, cover bottom of dutch oven with a thin layer canola oil and heat to medium-high

3. On a cutting board, slice beef brisket into equal size chunks and salt all sides. They should still be rather large—NOT cubes. Place each sliced bit into dutch oven without overcrowding. After each piece has been browned on all sides, place meat on parchment lined baking sheet.

   • Note: You can test the pot’s temp with one piece first!! Make sure every piece of meat is touching the bottom of the large pot to ensure even cooking. DO NOT CLEAN THE POT after browning all meat—you want the fond! We love the fond.

4. Once all pieces have been browned, turn off stove. Gently place bay leaves, guajillo chiles, cinnamon sticks and garlic inside the large pot. Re-add meat above the other ingredients mentioned. After the meat has been added, season meats with cumin and ground cloves. Mix meat around.

5. Add beef stock, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar to the large pot. If meat still isn’t covered, add water until meat is covered. Heat pot to medium-high and low broth to reach a rolling boil. Once boil is reached, turn off heat immediately.

6. Cover large pot or dutch oven with parchment paper. Place lid over parchment and place into oven for 3-4 hours or until meat is as tendered as shown below.

   • Note: I’d recommend checking after the 3.5 hour mark for tenderness.

7. Remove meat from large pot and place carefully into a bowl. Discard the other contents in the baking dish. Gently shred meat in bowl with two forks or kitchen tongs. Season with additional salt & pepper to taste.

   • Note: The fat rendered can be disposed.

assembly:

1. Warm tortillas in the microwave or in a pan. Place shredded pork on tortilla. Top with onions/pickled onions, cilantro, cotija/queso fresco and salsa verde. Add lime quarters to the side. Enjoy!