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| Homebrew Hefeweizen |
Tacos, to me, feel like a summer food, and I am really looking forward to summer! These tacos were a bit different, but incredibly satisfying. It's really a very, very simple mole sauce, kinda. I was over at my friends' house the other day, and after a really pleasurable afternoon of chasing his one-year-old daughter all over Liberty Science Center, he served grilled flank steak that he marinated in a coffee based dry chile rub. It was very tasty and became the inspiration for this dish. I kept thinking, what if we added some honey, chocolate and chipotle to the mix? And cooked it real slow and low? And then shredded it and put it in warm tortillas? Sounds good, right? Well, here you go!
I suggest you eat these while imbibing a frosty cold beverage. Margaritas would be a suitable substitute for beer. Hmm... I just had a thought! Next time around, a little tequila in the mix would make these tacos outrageous!
FOR THE BEEF:
- 2-3 lb beef brisket (any pot roast cut will do, really...)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp espresso
- 2 tsp honey
- 3 tsp cumin (ground)
- 2 tsp chile molido (mild) or sweet paprika
- 1 tsp chipotle chile powder
- 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 4 cloves garlic (mashed)
- 1/4 of a lime & 1/2 of a lime
- 1 can of tomatoes (no salt added & not Italian flavored)
- 1 cup of beef stock (chicken is fine too)
*My wife's aunt brought down her Nespresso machine over Christmas and left if here (Thank you Mary!). It really is a fantastic machine. I've always been skeptical about any sort of home espresso brewer, but this is the real deal. So, it was easy for me to add the espresso. For you? Maybe just stop by Starbucks on your way home from the store and pick up a couple shots.
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Put everything except the tomatoes and the stock in your blender/food processor thing...and blend till you have a nice thick paste. Slather it over the beef. I didn't marinate this any longer than a few minutes, several hours (ideally overnight) would make this even more delicious. 
Heat some olive oil in your favorite heavy-bottomed, oven-proof pot. (One of these days I will finally invest in a proper Dutch oven!) When the oil is nice and hot, brown the beef on all sides then remove it to a plate.
Add the cup of stock to the pot and deglaze, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom. Return the beef to the pot, pour in the can of tomatoes, squeeze 1/2 of a lime over the beef, cover, and place in the oven.
Cook for at least 3 hours, turning ocassionally, and making sure there is always a bit of liquid in the pot. When it is "fall apart tender" as they say, it is done.Shred it with a fork while still in the pot and mix it with all the fatty juices. Serve it with your favorite taco toppings!
Some suggestions: cheese, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, onions, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, cilantro, avocado, whatever!
I topped mine with cheddar cheese, homemade salsa, and pickled onions.
QUICK PICKLED ONIONS:- 1 red onion (sliced in very thin)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
In a small bowl, dissolve the salt and sugar in the water. Add the vinegar and mix well. Add the onions to the bowl, then microwave on high for one minute. Stir well, microwave again for one minute, then stir again. Chill the onions in the fridge while your beef cooks. Ideally, you'd let these sit overnight.HOMEMADE TORTILLAS
Store bought tortillas are good, but if you can make them yourself, why not? You can do these in a dry fry pan, but they cook up best in cast iron. These are not traditional Mexican tortillas (which use a bunch of lard) and, I'll admit, mine turned out a bit chewy. I think I rolled them too thin. But they were tasty nonetheless, and kinda fun to make. I found the recipe here:
