Mexican Pulled Beef

What can I say!

Falling apart beef, ideal for stuffing into burritos, tacos, pittas and dare I say, pies.

Slow cooking achieves the melt in the mouth texture and you just need tongs to serve as you pull it gently apart, top with a spoonful of the pan sauce, heaven!

Not too spicy but with a massive hit of flavour. The boys love this served with rice in a burrito with avocado and sour cream and for the gluten free option I have it with rice.

If you want, add 2-3 drained tins of black beans for the final 30-45 mins to make the meat go even further.

This quantity serves 12-14, I make this quantity and then  freeze half for an easy dinner another night.

Ingredients

2.5kg piece of beef, I use blade, cut into very large chunks, around 10cm

3 ancho chillies

100mls olive oil

6 onions, sliced

6 cloves garlic, chopped

120g chipotle chillies in adobe sauce, around 3 chillies and their sauce, diced

750mls passata or sieved tomatoes

500mls water

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

3 tablespoons brown sugar

salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 150degrees Centigrade.

Boil the kettle, place the ancho chillies in a heat proof bowl, pour over the boiling water and allow to soak for 30mins. Once softened remove stem and seeds, dice roughly.

In a large oven proof, lidded pan, heat the oil and add the onions.

Cook the onion over a medium heat until soft and caramelised, around 30mins.

Add the garlic and cook for 10mins.

Pour in the passata, ancho chillies, chipotle chillies, water, oregano, cocoa, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

Bring up to the boil.

Add the beef to the pan. Stir well.

Cover the pan with a piece of overlapping baking parchment and then the lid.

Pop in the oven and cook for 4 hours.

Remove the lid and paper and allow to cook down, in the oven, for a further 30-45mins.

Pull the beef apart with forks or tongs and serve.