Homemade Tacos
To celebrate National Taco Day we offer delicious homemade flour tortillas filled with pulled beef, pulled pork, and pulled chicken. These tacos make for a great afternoon or evening meal. Slow cooking oven and stovetop recipes for preparing our savory meat fillings allows us time to prepare the homemade tortillas, taco toppings, and side dishes while we wait for the meats to finish cooking.
Oven pulled pork and chicken breast plus a braised beef brisket are the showcase of our Mexican inspired taco trio.
ANCHO CHILE AND COFFEE RUBBED BEEF BRISKET
Ingredients
Coffee Chile Rub:
- 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
- 2 tablespoons fresh ground coffee
- 2 tablespoons Spanish paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 (3 pounds) beef brisket, quartered and trimmed
- 1 cup tomato juice
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- water
Instructions
- Add the ancho chile powder, fresh ground coffee, Spanish paprika, brown sugar, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, and ground cinnamon to a small bowl.
- Apply the spice rub to the surface of the brisket pieces. Arrange the prepared brisket in a single layer on a plate. Set brisket aside for 30 minutes to allow rub to stick to surface. Alternately, place the brisket in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil and sear the brisket pieces on all sides, one at a time. Place the browned meat in a braising pan or Dutch oven.
- Add the tomato juice, fresh lime juice, red wine, bay leaf, and onion quarters to the Dutch oven.
- Add enough water to cover the brisket. Place the Dutch oven over a large burner and bring the liquid to a gentle boil over medium heat.
- Reduce heat to low, cover with lid, and simmer for 3 hours.
- Remove the meat and shred it. Place in foil pouch to keep warm.
- Place a strainer over a small saucepan and pour the cooking liquid into the saucepan. Discard contents in strainer.
- Place saucepan over medium heat. Reduce sauce until thick. Toss with shredded beef.
Notes
Beef brisket rubbed with spicy coffee chile rub. Brisket is seared before braising in red wine and tomato juice until fork tender.
OVEN PULLED PORK
Ingredients
Spice Rub:
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 (4 pounds) shoulder pork roast
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups apple juice
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (7 ounces) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
- Add the sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, dark brown sugar, paprika, and cayenne pepper to a small bowl.
- Coat the pork shoulder with the spice rub, pressing into the pork. Place prepared pork on plate and refrigerate from 2 hours to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add vegetable oil to hot skillet.
- Sear pork shoulder on all sides.
- Add browned pork roast to Dutch oven. Pour in apple juice, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and minced garlic.
- Tightly cover with aluminum foil then lid.
- Roast pork in the oven for 4 hours or until fork tender and shreds easily. Baste the pork roast with cooking liquid every hour.
- Remove Dutch oven from oven. Remove pork roast to rack and let stand until cool enough to handle.
- Shred the pork with a fork or tongs into bite size pieces.
Notes
Pork shoulder coated in spice rub prepared from sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, dark brown sugar, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Pork is seared before braising in spicy apple juice and apple cider braising liquid. Finished pork dish is shredded for use in tacos and sandwiches.
CILANTRO LIME OVEN BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Add fresh lime juice, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped garlic, ancho chile powder, honey, olive oil, fresh ground black pepper, and salt to a small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add chicken breasts to ziplock plastic bag. Pour marinade over chicken breasts. Seal plastic bag. Place bag on plate and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Remove chicken from marinade. Discard marinade.
- Arrange chicken breasts in baking dish. Bake until golden brown and juices run clear, about 45 minutes. Remove chicken breasts to plate lined with paper towels to rest.
- Shred chicken breasts with fork. Serve immediately, or place shredded chicken in foil pouch to keep warm.
Notes
Chicken breasts marinated in olive oil, garlic, cilantro, fresh lime juice, ancho chile powder and honey. Prepared chicken is baked until golden brown before being shredded with fork for use in tacos.
SALSA VERDE
Ingredients
- 4 tomatillos, husks removed, quartered
- 1 cup choppedwhite or yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Add tomatillo, onion, jalapeño chile peppers, garlic, fresh cilantro, sugar, fresh lime juice, sea salt, and water to blender. Puree until smooth.
- Pour into small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Tomatillo salsa with white onion, jalapeno chile, garlic, and chopped fresh cilantro.
ROASTED TOMATO SALSA
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, core removed and sliced in half
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 medium white onions, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeno chile, stem removed and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Brush olive oil on cut sides of tomatoes. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper.
- Arrange tomatoes cut side up on non-stick baking sheet. Roast tomatoes 15 to 20 minutes in preheated oven.
- Add roasted tomatoes, chopped garlic, chopped onion, finely chopped jalapeno to blender. Puree until smooth.
- Pour into small bowl. Salsa can be served immediately, but best if prepared several hours in advance.
- Season the salsa with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Notes
Oven roasted tomatoes combined with olive oil, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic, white onion, jalapeno chile, and fresh lime juice.
PICO DE GALLO
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely chopped tomato
- 1 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
- 1 jalapeno chile pepper, stem and seeds removed, minced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add chopped tomato, chopped white or yellow onion, minced jalapeno chile pepper, chopped fresh cilantro leaves, fresh lime juice, sea salt, and fresh ground black pepper to small bowl.
- Stir to combine. Salsa can be served immediately, but best if prepared several hours in advance.
Notes
Popular fresh salsa featuring finely chopped tomato, white onion, jalapeno chile pepper, and chopped fresh cilantro.
