The Best Beef Barbacoa

Ready to create a culinary sensation? Today we're making beef barbacoa, a dish steeped in Mexican tradition, originally slow cooked in pits for a unique smoky flavor. Let's get started on this flavor-packed journey. The first step is to awaken the soul of our dish, the chilies. You're gonna take 2 dried guajillo and 2 ancho chili peppers, place those in a bowl. We're gonna soak them in that bowl for about 1-4 hours in some water. To really let those flavors steep out of the chilies. This process here is going to unlock those flavors and soften them up so we can blend them up. Now we're back to focusing on our main star here, the beef. And I am using about a 4-pound chuck roast. This cut is perfect because the marbling in it is just perfect for that low and slow cook. We're gonna season this up with some salt and some pepper. Make sure you get both sides there. Now we're gonna head over to the stove and get cooking this. In a large heavy bottom pot, I'm gonna put about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in there, and get that heating up to medium-high heat. Once that oil is sizzling hot, we're gonna sear our beef. Make sure you sear both sides of that beef, because that searing is going to lock in the flavor and give a delicious crust. While our beef is searing up over there, we're gonna make that amazing sauce. First ingredient, we're gonna take those softened chilies and cut the stems off and any of those extra seeds. Let's get rid of them and go ahead and put those right in the blender. Both the ancho and the guajillo are going in. Add to that 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, you know, for that extra smoky kick. Then I'm gonna add in 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar for a little bit of tang and some sweetness, a teaspoon of salt, and a teaspoon of oregano, 3 minced cloves of garlic, and the last ingredient is 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, which brings a subtle warmth to this dish. Those are our flavor ingredients, and now we're gonna add in about 2 tablespoons of oil, and then 1 quarter cup of water. And now you simply blend it until it's smooth. It's like a blow dryer. This sauce is so rich and it really is the backbone of our delicious dish. At this point, you're gonna want to make sure you've got a preheated oven of 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and now we simply pour that vibrant, delicious sauce over that beef. Now we just simply cover that so it can braise low and slow in our preheated oven for at least 3 hours. This slow, low cooking is crucial so that you can have tender, delicious beef. It also helps to really infuse that deep, rich flavor. It's been about 4 hours, and our beef is tender and falling apart. Serve that shredded up on a warm corn tortilla, and add any little extra pops of flavor that you desire. And there you have it, delicious beef barbacoa. Thanks for watching. You can find the full written recipe in the video description below. Be sure to check out thestatehomechef.com, where you can find hundreds of restaurant quality recipes that you can easily make at home. We'll see you later.