Cabrera Tacos

Beef that pulls apart with a fork after slow cooking, soaked in a deep red, powerful braising juice. The soft tortilla wraps around the tender chuck steak, balanced by the sharpness of fresh lime.

• Prep: 20 min
• Cook: 180 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 1022
• Protein: 52 g
• Carbs: 101 g
• Fat: 52 g

Ingredients

• 800 g Beef chuck ( whole )
• 2 pc Yellow onion ( finely chopped )
• 4 pc Garlic ( minced )
• 50 ml Red wine vinegar
• 1 pc Cinnamon stick
• 2 pc Clove
• 2 pc Hot chili pepper ( seeded )
• 2 tbsp Sunflower oil
• 12 pc Soft tortilla (for filling), made from corn
• 1 pc Fresh cilantro ( chopped )
• 2 pc Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle. ( in wedges )
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 4 pc Dried Guajillo chilies ( seeded )

Instructions

1. Brown the meat

   Heat the sunflower oil in a cast iron pot. Sear the chuck steak on all sides until a clear brown crust is formed. Season with grey sea salt.

2. Prepare the aromatic base

   Add the chopped onions and garlic. When they become translucent, pour in the red wine vinegar to deglaze and scrape up the juices from the bottom of the pot.

3. Start the simmering

   Stir in the cinnamon, cloves, chilies, and seeded dried guajillo chilies. Cover with water. Cover and cook over very low heat until the meat pulls apart effortlessly.

4. Shred and reduce

   Remove the meat and shred it using two forks. Remove the whole spices and guajillo chilies. Reduce the cooking liquid over high heat until it coats the back of a spoon, then mix back with the meat.

5. Assemble the tacos

   Heat the tortillas in a dry pan. Garnish generously with juicy meat, add chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.

Chef's tips

• Don't discard the red fat that rises to the surface; use it to lightly brown the tortillas in the pan.
• The meat is ready when it collapses under the simple pressure of a fork.

Storage

Store the meat in its juice in the fridge for up to 3 days. It tastes even better when reheated.