More Surfing…More Tacos! Carne Deshebrada! (Or...Shredded Beef Tacos)

Yes, there was surfing last week and this week. The tally? Two so-so efforts, and one pretty good one. For the first sessions, surf had been way up, and conditions not great. By not great I mean there was a lot wind, especially on the second outing, creating choppy seas; not even the good surfers were out because it just wasn't very rideable. So this wasn't entirely about me being a dork, although it was a little, of course. Mostly, though, it was about catching some smaller inside waves, or just practicing pop ups in the whitewash. But then Saturday was a nice mellow day, and I had a really productive session; paddled out with no problem and got up on a couple of small, little waves. Fun! A little on the crowded side, though.

Speaking of mellow days -- a Saturday or a Sunday perhaps -- mellow days are ideal days to make Carne Deshebrada, or Shredded Beef Tacos. Why? Well, the beef needs a long braise in the oven. You don't have to be standing around babying it -- you can hang out and do other things, but you do have to check on it periodically. Roughly translated, Carne Deshebrada means meltingly tender, spicy (but not too spicy) beef (often recipes call for skirt steak, chuck or flank), in warm corn tortillas, topped with a tart cabbage slaw, and crumbled queso fresco. This version, adapted from America's Test Kitchen, uses short rib. As always, get the best quality short ribs you can find. These came from McCall's Meat and Fish in Los Feliz, and they are always amazing.

A good thing about this recipe is not only can you make a lot of it but it's also really really easy, plus you can make it ahead and then reheat it so it's good party food. Another plus? Leftovers make great enchuritos (or, as some people call them, wet burritos). Here's what the final put-together tacos looked like:

And here's how it's done:

Shredded Beef Tacos/Carne Deshebrada
Serves 6-8
(Adapted from America's Test Kitchen)

1 1/2 cups beer
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 ounces (4-6) dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
3 bay leaves
2 tsps. ground cumin
2 tsps. dried oregano
salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 large onion, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds
3 pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut into 2 inch cubes
16-18 corn tortillas
Cabbage slaw for serving (recipe follows)
Queso Fresco
Lime wedges

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a Dutch oven or large stew pot combine beer, vinegar, anchos, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, 2 tsps. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, cloves and cinnamon. Arrange onion rounds in single layer on bottom of pot. Salt the meat, and place chunks on top of onion rounds in one layer. Cover, place pot in lower third of oven, and cook until meat is well browned and very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours (see, you could just sit back and have a beer yourself! But definitely start checking at 2 hours, and add a little more beer, or water, if liquid looks low, which mine did -- the meat should, by now, be almost submerged in liquid so let that be the rule).
2. When beef is tender, remove it to a bowl. Strain liquid through a sieve into 2 cup liquid measuring cup (don't wash the pot!). Remove some of onions, but leave a few in. Remove bay leaves. Transfer remaining solids to blender. Let strained liquid settle, then skim off fat as much fat as you can. Add water as needed to make 1 cup. Pour liquid into blender with solids and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the pot.
3. Shred  the beef using two forks. Bring sauce to simmer. Add shredded beef and stir to coat. Season to taste with salt.

Cabbage Slaw:

1 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsps. salt

1/2 large head green cabbage, or 1 whole small one, cored and shredded (6 cups)

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, peeled and shredded

1 Jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 cup fresh cilantro

1. Whisk vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add cabbage, onion, carrot, jalapeño, and oregano. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 24). Drain slaw and stir in cilantro just before serving.

For Tacos:

1. Warm tortillas, either directly over a gas burner until charred in spots on both sides, or in the microwave, covered with a damp towel, until just heated.
2. Spoon shredded beef into each warm tortilla. Top with slaw, and some Queso Fresco. Sprinkle more Cilantro on top if you like. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

So if you find you have leftover beef, it makes a really good enchurito/wet burrito. Or you could use it in just a regular burrito, or a torta. Here's an Enchurito, though: 

All you need to do is reheat the beef over a very low flame, and if you think you need it, add a little water. Then, fill warmed flour tortillas with the beef, top with sauce, some cheese (we used cheddar and queso fresco) and cilantro. Add a dollop of sour cream and you're good to go. For an enchurito sauce recipe, refer to this blog post from January 6, 2015.

For the best short ribs in LA: www.mccallsmeatandfish.com
And here's a link to America's Test Kitchen's site: www.americastestkitchen.com

Still A Kook In The Water. But Not On The Slopes! Plus More Little Jewel Of New Orleans Deliciousness.

While I have many phobias and fears that have hindered my progress as a surfer, it's a different story on the slopes. My skiing skills are top-notch! Really, this is true. And it's mostly because my parents threw me and my brother and sister on skis when we were really little and therefore fearless. I was four when I started skiing. At that age you get pointed down a hill (most likely a gentle bunny slope) and you just go. Wheeeee! In those days nobody worried about helmets and other protective gear so if you hit anything, good luck! Anyway, about every chance my parents could get they took us all skiing. A favorite spot was Okemo, in Vermont, where we'd stay at this little inn called the Okemo Lantern Lodge, which was run by a jolly, somewhat large woman named Marian Cardwell, and her stick-thin, rather surly husband, Paul. Marian Cardwell was an awesome cook, and included in the price of a stay at the Lodge were breakfast and dinner. When I smell bacon sizzling in a pan, I think about the Okemo Lantern Lodge, as there was often bacon on the menu at breakfast. Or sausages. And always toast with lots of butter. Dinners were usually hearty and down-home type meals, roast beef or turkey, and always there were relish trays and vegetables Mrs. Cardwell had raised and canned herself, and really good warm rolls. I wish the lodge was still there, but apparently it's not so that's kind of a bummer.  I had laid off skiing for a while after moving to California, but when I figured out how close to LA you could ski, I got back to it. So the  weekend before last I took myself up to Mountain High because I figured better take advantage of the snow while it's there! I'd have preferred Mt. Baldy, which is actually even closer, but they are too reliant on natural snow and weren't open for skiing, unfortunately. But Mountain High was fun, if a little too crowded. The only downside was the food at lunch time wasn't great, and that kind of sucked because, like with surfing, one of the great things about skiing is eating, both during and after!

Anyway, shortly after the ski jaunt, a dear old friend and her husband were in town visiting their daughter at college. This friend went to Tulane, so New Orleans has been on my mind. Then I saw an Instagram post from The Little Jewel of New Orleans that they were featuring a special at lunch, a Wagyu Beef Double Cheeseburger Po'Boy. Now that sounded freaking delicious, and I so wanted to try it, but here's the thing about the Po'Boys at the Little Jewel.  They are huge! These sandwiches are so packed with goodness they can easily, I've learned, feed two hungry people. So I was all set to order that Double Cheeseburger Po'Boy, but I knew what would happen. I'd shove the whole damn thing in my mouth without stopping, and I wouldn't be able to move for the rest of the day. But, I've always wanted to sample the Cochon de Lait, so here's the lunch I ended up choosing--

In fact I hadn't tried any of the Parish Fair size sandwiches at Little Jewel, but I'm here to tell you this is the perfect size lunch for one (unless you are a very hearty eater. Then, by all means, have a Po'boy!)  And actually it too was packed with meat so that some spilled out and had to be eaten with the hands after polishing off the sandwich. What is Cochon de Lait? Well, I'd say it's like a New Orleans version of Carnitas. It's pork (I'd guess shoulder or butt) that's been braised a good long time so that it's meltingly tender. It was served on this delicious soft bun with cole slaw and pickle. Add a little hot sauce, some of those salt and vinegar potato chips, and the ginger ale and I was in lunch heaven. Again, thank you Little Jewel for having come to LA and blessed us with your presence. And maybe, after a really long day of skiing, or a really long surf session, I'll get that double cheeseburger Po'Boy after all!

www.littlejewel.la.com