I had to take a short break from blogging lately due to work overload. I still have a busy month, or so, ahead of me with several deadlines. On top of that, I also am in the process of planning my trip to Brazil in June for the World Cup. It is going to be a very hectic time for me, but all I can think about is FOOD! The thinks I would love to cook, but have no time or energy to try. How I wish that this could be my real job, but alas, I will have to continue in my free time.
Since I have so little free time, all I could think about was “what can I cook that doesn’t take a lot of time and will still make my husband happy?” Solution?…..Spicy slowcooker beef! I saw it had an easy sauce made from real ingredients, it was spicy, and I could dump it into a slow cooker and forget about it until it was done! Perfect! Mission accomplished!
I let the meat cook for hours until it fell apart easily and soaked up all the sauce. It was so tender and flavorful. I did end up using a whole can of chipotle peppers to appease my husband’s need for spicy food. My mouth burns and my nose runs when I eat it, but for him, it was good. Luckily, the spice level can be adjusted easily by how many chipotle peppers you add.
We have eaten this beef by itself or in taco form. I’m sure it would be good in any typical Mexican food form like a burrito, quesadilla, tamales, taquito, or tostada. Actually those all sound super good right now.
Lesson’s Learned:
- Don’t accidentally throw away one of your ingredients. You will regret it…or at least I did.
- Don’t go to by that ingredient on a day where there is a parade separating you from the grocery store. It took me an hour to go a few blocks and pick up garlic for this recipe. Made me really hate parades. Luckily, I had a Bloody Mary waiting for me at home that you might notice in the background of some pictures.
- If your sauce is a little runny, just let it simmer for a while uncovered to thicken it up.
- Even the toughest meat will breakdown and become easily shred-able. You just have to cook it long enough for the connective tissue to breakdown.
- ⅓ cup vinegar
- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- juice of 1 lime
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 4 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I used the whole can)
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups beef stock
- 3 lbs stew beef
- Garnishes: chopped onion and cilantro
- Combine all ingredients except oil, beef stock, and stew beef into a blender, and blend until smooth.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef a few at a time to brown. Cook for a few minutes on both sides until brown.
- When beef is finished browning and removed from pan, add the beef stock to hot pan. Scrape all the yummy brown bits from the bottom of the pan and mix with the beef stock.
- Add the beef stock, browned beef, and blended sauce to a crock pot. Put it on low for about 8 hrs or until tender and shreds easily with a fork. (you can speed up the time by cooking it on high instead).
- When tender, shred with fork. Serve hot.
(recipe inspired by Spicy Spoonful)
Good job
Good job
I do make something like this, but not with all this detail. I am so happy that you like to cook. I just should have kept you home to cook instead of going to Engineer School! Love you!
MOM
I do make something like this, but not with all this detail. I am so happy that you like to cook. I just should have kept you home to cook instead of going to Engineer School! Love you!
MOM
This looks so good! Yum!
This looks so good! Yum!