Instant Pot Barbacoa Tacos
Browning the beef at the beginning of cooking adds a crispy edge to this super-succulent meat, which then gets a sassy kick from the tangy sauce at the end. Inspired by the classic Caribbean-Mexican dish, the meat is then tucked into soft tortillas and topped with fresh lime-juice, onion and cilantro.
Ingredients
- 3 lb. (1.5 kg) boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbs. canola oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped, plus more for serving (optional)
- 1 cup (240 ml) beef stock
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbs. ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
- 4 chipotle chiles in adobo, plus 2 Tbs. sauce
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 Tbs. firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 2 bay leaves
For serving:
- Warmed corn or flour tortillas
- Steamed white or brown rice
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
Directions
Pat the beef cubes dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper.
Select Sauté on the Instant Pot and heat the oil. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate as browned. Add the onion and 2 Tbs. of the stock and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon and scraping up any browned bits, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano and stir to combine, 1 minute. Press the Cancel button to reset the program.
Add the remaining stock, the chiles and their sauce, lime juice, sugar, cloves, bay leaves, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper, and stir to combine. Return the beef and its juices to the pot, nestling it in snugly. Lock the lid in place and turn the valve to Sealing. Press the Pressure Cook button and set the cook time for 30 minutes at high pressure.
Let the steam release naturally, or for at least 15 minutes, before turning the valve to Venting to quick-release any residual steam. Carefully remove the lid and use tongs to transfer the beef pieces to a plate.
Press the Cancel button to rest the program and then select Sauté. Using tongs, transfer the beef to a large bowl and, using 2 forks, shred the beef. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until it thickens, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Transfer to a bowl and use a spoon to skim the fat off the top. Transfer to a blender and blend at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the sauce to the beef and stir.
Serve in tortillas or over rice with cilantro and additional chopped onion, if using, with lime wedges alongside. Serves 6 to 8.
Adapted from The Complete Instant Pot Collection Cookbook (Weldon Owen, 2021)