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