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Barbocao Tacos

Fall apart shredded beef tacos, cooked with guajillo chiles that breaks down into the perfectly braised meat. Cooks quickly in the Instant Pot or low and slow in the oven. This recipe is crowd pleasing and makes wonderfully messy tacos!!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Oven 4 hours
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs beef brisket (can sub boneless chuck roast, or boneless beef short rib) fat trimmed and cut into 3 inch pieces
  • 6 dried guajillo chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 2 dried chipotle chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 1 large yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 12 oz beef broth or a dark Mexican beer (if using oven method) *see note
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Mexican oregano
  • 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
For Serving
  • corn tortillas warmed
  • chopped onion & cilantro
  • sliced radishes
  • lime wedges
  • your favorite salsa

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker or a Dutch Oven
  • Blender

Method
 

  1. After beef is cut and trimmed season with salt and let come to room temperature before cooking, about 20 minutes.
  2. On medium heat, lightly toast all of the stemmed and seeded chiles in a dry skillet for 30 seconds on each side, till fragrant and not blackened. Set them aside on a plate.
Instant Pot
  1. Set IP to SAUTE. Pat beef dry with a paper towel. Once hot add 2 tbsp avocado oil. Working in batches sear all sides of the meat cooking about 2 minutes each side. Set browned beef aside on a plate and cook another batch, add more oil (as needed) to the pan to prevent scorching.
  2. Add onions, stirring occasionally, cooking for 5 minutes, or until it starts to brown. Add garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
  3. Pour in the broth and toasted chiles. Using a wooden spoon scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Once chiles have soften remove from heat and let cool. Hit CANCEL
  4. Pour contents of IP into a blender, add the rest of the ingredients. Blend on high till mixture is smooth and creamy, adding more water to thin the mixture.
  5. Return sauce from blender to IP and using tongs to add meat and coat in the sauce.
  6. Lock the lid on and make sure pressure valve is set to seal. Set to cook on HIGH pressure or ‘beef/stew’ for 60 minutes.
  7. When the cook time is up, let Natural Release or carefully vent (if your impatient like me). Using tongs or two forks shred the meat. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed.
  8. Serve with warm tortillas, onions, radishes, cilantro, your favorite salsa, and lime.
Oven Method
  1. Preheat oven to 325.
  2. Follow the directions for IP, but you will use a Dutch Oven or another oven safe, heavy pot with a lid.
    (Instead of hitting buttons and what not, you will simply sear the meat, cook peppers in broth or beer, blend the sauce, then return meat and sauce to the pot.)
  3. Once meat is returned to the pot and coated in sauce, cover and transfer to the oven. Stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 hours, until the meat is fork tender.
  4. Using tongs or two forks shred the meat. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed.
  5. Serve with warm tortillas, onions, radishes, cilantro, your favorite salsa, and lime.

Notes

There is a lot of back and forth about cooking with alcohol in your Instant Pot. I've never tried because something about bubbles and pressure worries me. These tacos came out great without. However, if your set on using alcohol I suggest the Oven Method.