Chilli-Braised Beef Tacos with Melted Cheese and Dipping Broth
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats, NYT Cooking and America's Test Kitchen.
Beef slow-braised in a toasted chilli broth until fork-tender, then folded into crisp melted-cheese tacos and served with the rich broth for dipping.
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Method
- 1
Toast and Soak the Chillies. Toasting wakes up the chillies' oils, so heat the dry frying pan over medium heat and toast the guajillo and árbol chillies a few at a time, pressing them flat for 15-20 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly darker — stop before they blacken, or the paste turns bitter. Tip them into a heatproof bowl, pour over the boiling water and leave to soak for 15 minutes until soft. Soaking also softens their tough skins so they blend completely smooth later.
- 2
Blend the Chilli Paste. Put the soaked chillies and their soaking water into the blender with the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cloves and pepper. Blend for about 2 minutes until completely smooth. This paste carries the braise's warmth and fruitiness into the beef as it cooks, so a thorough blend now means no gritty texture later.
- 3
Braise the Beef. Once seasoned with the salt, the beef goes into the large pot with the chilli paste, onion halves, bay leaves and water. Bring everything just to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cover, turn the heat to low and simmer very gently for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender and falls apart when pressed. This long, moist heat goes well beyond what's needed for safety; it's there to melt the chuck's tough connective tissue into soft gelatine.
- 4
Skim the Fat. After cooking, turn off the heat and let the pot sit for 15 minutes so the fat rises to the surface. Ladle the red fat into a shallow bowl and set it aside for frying the tacos later, since it's full of chilli flavour and shouldn't be thrown away.
- 5
Shred the Beef. Lift the beef into a large bowl with a slotted spoon and shred it with two forks, discarding the onion and bay leaves and straining the broth if you'd like it smoother. Stir 250 ml of the broth into the shredded meat to keep it moist, and taste the rest of the broth before adding any extra salt. Keep the broth hot over low heat while the tacos fry.
- 6
Fry the Cheese Tacos. In the same frying pan over medium heat, dip one side of three tortillas in the reserved fat and lay them fat-side down in the pan. Scatter each with mozzarella, spoon a heaped portion of shredded beef over one half, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts, then fold over and cook for a further 1-2 minutes per side until crisp. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Frying in the chilli-stained fat crisps and colours the tortilla while seasoning it from the outside in, much like the fat did during the braise.
- 7
Serve with Dipping Broth. Bring the broth back to a boil, then ladle about 125 ml into each small bowl and top with chopped onion and coriander. Serve the crisp tacos alongside the broth for dipping, with lime wedges on the side.
Storage
Cool quickly and refrigerate within 1 hour; use within 3 days, storing the meat and broth separately. Reheat once until piping hot throughout (74°C); the broth also freezes well for up to 3 months. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- large heavy frying pan (30 cm), preferably non-stick
- heatproof bowl
- blender
- large heavy pot or casserole (at least 6 l) with a lid
- ladle
- shallow bowl
- slotted spoon
- large bowl
- two forks
- fine sieve (optional)
- instant-read thermometer
- small bowls for the broth
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 805 kcal |
| Protein | 63.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 48 g |
| of which sugars | 5.1 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 41.5 g |
| of which saturates | 19.3 g |
| Fibre | 8.9 g |
| Salt | 2.55 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
7.9 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
