PULLED BEEF TACOS
Pulled or Shredded Beef Tacos with Pico de Gallo and Gaucamole
Ingredients Pulled Beef Tacos
1.5 pounds of beef cubes (chuck meat)
at least 10 taco shells
at least 8 ounces of shredded Mexican cheese blend (or cheddar cheese)
1 TBS of garlic paste or powder
2 tsps. of onion powder
1 tsp of jalapeno powder
½ teaspoon of red chili powder or cayenne
½ teaspoon of black pepper
2 tsps. of salt
2 TBS of Tomato paste
2 tsps. of coriander powder
1 tsp of cumin powder
1 TBS of BBQ sauce
¼ teaspoon of citric acid or 1 tsp of lemon juice
1 Tablespoons of Olive Oil (EVOO)
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Ingredients for Pico de Gallo (Salsa)
1 medium sweet onion, diced
2 tomatoes, diced and deseeded
2 finely chopped green chilies
a handful of fresh, chopped cilantro
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of salt
½ teaspoon of pepper
juice of one lime
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Ingredients for Guacamole ​
2-3 just ripened avocados
the juice of 1 lime
a handful of chopped, fresh cilantro
1 small sweet, red pepper that has been finely chopped
1-2 chopped green chilies
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
1/2 tsp of onion powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper
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Method:
Place the meat in a deep pot and cover with water—about a ½ inch above the beef. Then add all the seasonings, including the olive oil (leaving the taco shells and cheese for later). Bring this to a boil on medium high heat and then turn down the heat to a light simmer. Skim any foamy meat scum that comes up to the top periodically. Cover the pot and cook the beef for about 2 and a half to three hours or until the juices are thickened, but not dry, and the beef shreds easily with a fork or wooden spoon.
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While the meat is cooking, make the Pico de Gallo Salsa and Guacamole.
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For the Pico, combine all the ingredients listed above in a bowl. The longer this sits, the more the flavors meld so this can be made a little in advance and refrigerated.
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For the Guacamole, remove the seeds from the avocados and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Immediately, squeeze the lime juice over the top to prevent the avocados from browning. Then add the chopped cilantro along with the chopped sweet, red pepper, green chilies, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper. Mix and mash the avocados with the seasonings. I like the Guacamole slightly chunky so that’s how I leave it. Cover it in an airtight container and refrigerate it until ready to use.
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Back to the Tacos—Once the beef is tender, turn off the heat and then pull the beef apart with two forks. Combine the meat with the thickened juices and you have got an amazing, multi-purpose filling for Tacos, empanadas, pastries, sandwiches, the list goes on.
To assemble, warm up the taco shells in the oven at 350 degrees for a few minutes before adding the pulled beef and some Mexican blend shredded cheese to each one. Bake the Tacos for around 7 minutes or until the cheese is just melted.
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Then, top your tacos with some sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo.
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Enjoy!!