Tacos De Barbacoa

from Michael Parlapiano

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup  cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 3-4 canned chipotle chiles
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 3 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt or 3 teaspoons Kosher
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 pounds boneless chuck roast, excess fat removed
• 3/4 cup chicken broth, plus more as needed
• 3 bay leaves
• 20 warm corn tortillas
• Diced white onion, chopped cilantro and lime wedges for garnish

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 275°.
2. Combine the cider vinegar, lime juice, chipotle chiles, garlic cloves, cumin, oregano, clove, black pepper and salt in the bowl of a food processor or blender and puree until completely smooth — about a minute or so.  
3. Transfer the spice paste to a bowl and set aside.
4. Dry the roast all over with paper towels, cut away any excess fat and slice the meat into 4 evenly sized pieces.  
5. Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a very large pot set over high heat until it begins to shimmer.  Working in batches if necessary, sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned, about 10 minutes.
6. Add the chile puree to the pot and stir until the beef is well-coated.  Add the chicken stock and bay leaves and bring the liquid to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the lid with tin foil and add the lid to create a very tight seal.  
7. Place the pot in the oven and braise the meat for 5-6 hours, removing the lid during the last hour or so to allow the simmering liquid to reduce slightly. 
8. Allow the beef to cool slightly, spoon off any easily removable fat from the braising liquid and then use two forks to pull/shred the beef into bite size pieces.
9. Taste and adjust as necessary for seasonings.  
10. Serve spooned onto warm corn tortillas topped with diced white onion, chopped cilantro and lime wedges for garnish.

Makes about 20 tacos