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Home-Pot Barbacoa-Style Beef
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Ingredients
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Step by step
Method
4 steps
- 1
Season 3 lb beef chuck (large chunks) with 1½ teaspoons kosher salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high. Brown the beef in batches until deep brown on a couple sides, 3–4 minutes per batch — that crust builds flavor. Transfer to a plate.
- 2
Add 1 small onion (quartered), 4 garlic cloves, 1 cup low-sodium beef broth, ¼ cup lime juice, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder, and 1 bay leaf. Nestle the beef back in; the liquid should come partway up the meat, not drown it.
- 3
Cover and simmer on low 2½–3 hours until the beef pulls apart easily with two forks. Check once toward the end — if it's dry, splash in a little more broth.
- 4
Discard the bay leaf. Shred the beef in its juices so every strand stays moist. Serve in warm corn tortillas with diced onion, cilantro, and lime. You want juicy barbacoa-style shreds with citrus-chile depth — not dry pot roast or bland boiled beef.