Chipotle has become one of my favorite places to eat at, but I am cheap and can’t eat out a whole lot. I recently found a great way to make Cilantro Lime Rice, but I wanted to see if I could find a way to make my favorite meat, barbacoa, as well. I still had the red chili peppers and chipotle peppers from a Bountiful Baskets fajita pack, and it turns out those were the right start to the barbacoa. I heated up a can of black beans, then made pico de gallo with jalapenos, red onion, yellow cherry tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic salt. It turned out so good, it was one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time!
For the barbacoa, I made the sauce the day before and stored in the refrigerator. Then, I bought a chuck roast from a rancher at the Farmer’s Market (Sky Island Brand/47 Ranch). Yes, a little more expensive, but it is grass-fed beef, and much fresher and higher quality than what I can get at the grocery store. Here is how to make it!
Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa
Based on recipes here and here
What you need:
1 quart chicken broth, divided
3 whole dried red chiles, seeds and stems removed
8 dried chipotle peppers, seeds and stems removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
Juice of 1 lime
4-5 lb chuck roast (bone-in or boneless, bone-in will give a little more flavor)
How to make it:
Place the red chiles in a small sauce pan and heat over high heat, turning frequently, until chiles are toasted and fragrant. Add the chipotle peppers and 2 cups of the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for about 15 minutes, until chiles are tender. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add minced garlic and diced onions, cooking them until they are very brown. Add cumin, cloves, oregano, salt and pepper, stirring constantly. Add in the remaining chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, and the soaked chiles and their liquid. Simmer until reduced by about half. Pour the contents into a blender. Start blending on a low speed, working up to high until well blended. Set aside.
Place the skillet back on heat and sear each side of the chuck roast. Place chuck roast in a slow cooker and pour sauce over roast. Add lime juice and bay leaves. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat is very tender.
Once meat is cooked, remove the bay leaves. Remove any bones, and use 2 forks to shred apart the meat. Stir the shredded meat into the remaining sauce. Serve warm as desired. Ideas include in tacos or burritos, over rice or tortilla chips, with salsa, cheese, sour cream, and/or guacamole.
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