Braised Beef Tacos
Hi Friends!
The quarantine cooking stages for me have been:
hunker down for ambitious projects like sourdough bread and jam-making
grow tired and bored of my own cooking
voraciously support favorite local restaurants by ordering takeout galore
Now, I’ve reached a new stage, where I am still giving as much money as I can to restaurants, but also, I just really miss the experience of eating in a restaurant. So, as an attempt to re-create memories of beautiful meals out, I am cooking some of those same foods at home.
The recipe of the month for September 2020 is inspired by Guisados restaurant in Los Angeles. They make some of my favorite tacos, served on fresh handmade tortillas. This recipe I’m sharing is not from Guisados—it is my interpretation, written in a flexible style for a time when many of us can’t always find particular ingredients at grocery stores. Next time you’re in LA, you’ll have to stop by one of the Guisados locations for the real deal. Until then, these braised beef tacos will be lifting my spirits and reminding me of the essential, irreplaceable role restaurants play in our lives.
Braised Beef Tacos
Inspired by LA’s Guisados restaurant, these tacos are best eaten on a patio, with a cold beer or an agua fresca. You can cook the braised beef ahead and freeze it in an airtight container.
Serves 4 to 6
6 large dried chile peppers (use ancho, guajillo, or cascabel for mild to moderate heat or try New Mexico, morita, or chile d’arbol for something hotter—I like to use a combo!)
4 cups water
1 pint cherry tomatoes or 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (optional)
Fine sea salt
1 to 1 ¼ pounds beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
Corn tortillas, to serve
Finely chopped onion, to serve
Fresh cilantro leaves, to serve
Slice avocado, to serve
In a dry medium saucepan over medium heat, toast the dried chiles, flipping every 20 seconds or so, until softened and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove any tough stems, but keep most of the seeds for the flavorful heat they bring. Pour in the water, bring to a simmer, and let the chiles soak until they’re fully hydrated and even softer, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and remove the pan from the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture (or carefully transfer to a countertop blender and blend until smooth).
Warm the oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium or medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, and a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Push the onions and garlic to the sides of the pot and add the meat to the middle in a single layer. Cook, without stirring, until the beef pieces are nicely browned on the bottoms. Turn them and cook on another side until browned. Once they’re browned on a few sides, pour in the chile-tomato sauce. Lower the heat so that the liquid simmers very gently. Partially cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is falling apart tender, about 3 hours. Taste and season with plenty of salt.
For each taco, serve a spoonful of the braised beef on a toasted corn tortilla with some finely chopped raw onion, fresh cilantro leaves, and sliced avocado. Don’t forget a lime wedge on the side!
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xo,
Maria
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