Cola shredded beef tacos
Photographs by Annabelle Breakey
SERVES 6 (makes 12 tacos)
TIME 4 1/4 hours
Ingredients
TACOS
3 medium dried ancho chiles*
2 large dried guajillo chiles*
2 tbsp. canola oil, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano*
2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 lbs. chuck roast, cut into 4 pieces
1 dried bay leaf
1 1/2 cups Coca-Cola (not diet)
12 to 24 warm corn tortillas (6 in.)
ACCOMPANIMENTS
Chopped avocado, red onion, and cilantro; thinly sliced pickled jalapeños; and crema Mexicana* or regular sour cream
Directions
1. Wipe chiles clean with a damp cloth, stem and seed, and tear into pieces. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chiles and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water, the cumin, tomatoes, oregano, and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until chiles are softened, about 10 minutes. Whirl in a blender until very smooth.
2. Meanwhile, season beef with the remaining tsp. salt. Heat remaining tbsp. oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add beef and turn occasionally until browned, 10 to 14 minutes.
3. Pour sauce into pot and add bay leaf, cola, and a little water if needed to barely cover meat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until beef is very tender, 3 hours.
4. Lift beef to a plate. Let cool slightly, then tear into shreds, discarding fat and gristle. Meanwhile, boil sauce over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced to about 3 cups, 10 to 30 minutes. Stir in beef and heat just until hot. Remove bay leaf.
5. With a slotted spoon, transfer beef with some sauce to a bowl. Spoon beef into tortillas (double if they’re thin), tuck in accompaniments, and serve with remaining sauce.
*Find in the Latino foods aisle or spice aisle of a supermarket, or at a Latino market.
PER 2 TACOS 587 Cal., 54% (315 cal.) from fat; 32 g protein; 35 g fat (11 g sat.); 40 g carbo (6.5 g fiber); 607 mg sodium; 107 mg chol.
Serve with 2007 X Winery, "Red X" Winemaker's Blend, North Coast
