Mexican Barbacoa

Barbacoa is one of my favorite Mexican meals! I have been wanting to make it at home for a while, but I was never sure how. For Christmas, Jaime and I received a crock pot from my parents. While looking up recipes online, I found a simple recipe for barbacoa. So I decided to try and make it, but I changed the recipe up a little to make it a little more authentic. We loved it! Even my kids ate it! My Mexican husband said it was good, too! Here is the recipe....

Ingredients:

• 4lb boneless beef roast (I used chuck roast), fat trimmed.
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (the original recipe called for white vinegar, but apple cider vinegar is more common in Mexico)
• 6 TBSP lime juice, fresh squeezed
• 1/2 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (approx 6 peppers)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 TBSP ground cumin
• 1 TBSP ground black pepper
• 1 TBSP salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock

Instructions:

1. Place the meat in a crock pot.

2. Combine vinegar, lime juice, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt and cloves. Process ingredients in a food processor or blender until very smooth.

3. Pour the blended sauce over the meat and add the beef stock and bay leaves. (The meat should be half covered by the beef stock)

4. Cover and simmer for 6 or more hours on low heat until very tender. The meat should pull apart easily, similar to the meat in a pulled pork barbecue sandwich.

5. Serve on tortillas. Garnish with chopped onion and cilantro if desired. Enjoy!