Description
A rich and hearty stew full of flavor from dried chilies and spices.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4–6 dried chilies (2 guajillo chiles, 2 ancho chilies, and 2 chipotle chilies) – stems and seeds removed
- 3 lbs beef stew meat (or lamb or goat) cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt per pound of meat
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick (or sub ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
- 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes or 1 cup fresh, diced tomatoes (optional)
- 3 cups beef stock (or chicken stock)
- 1–2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (optional)
- 3-inch piece orange zest (optional)
- 1–2 chipotle chiles (or 2–3 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can) (optional)
Instructions
- Cover the dried chilies with water, bring to a boil, and let simmer until softened. Drain and remove seeds.
- Generously season the beef stew meat with salt and pepper, and sear in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Set aside.
- In an Instant Pot (or large Dutch oven), heat olive oil on the sauté setting. Add onion and garlic, sautéing until fragrant and golden.
- Add the spices: cloves, allspice, cumin, coriander, chili powder, oregano, bay leaves, and cinnamon. Sauté for 2 minutes to toast.
- Add the optional tomatoes and beef stock. Stir and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Add the browned meat and stir. For Instant Pot, set to 45 minutes on high pressure, then let it naturally release.
- On the stovetop, cover and simmer gently on medium-low for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until very tender, stirring occasionally.
- For a slow cooker, place everything and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Once the meat is tender, blend the chilies with a cup of warm broth until pureed, then return to the pot. Stir in.
- Taste and season with more vinegar, salt, and pepper as needed.
- If making tacos, shred the meat and strain the consommé, keeping them separate.
- Dip tortillas in consommé, fill with cheese, meat, and cilantro. Fold and pan-sear until crispy.
- Serve with a small bowl of consommé for dipping, topped with cilantro, radish, cucumber, onion, cotija cheese or sour cream, and lime.
Notes
- Be careful when working with dried chilies to not burn them; they should be toasted until fragrant.
- Adjust the amount of salt based on personal taste as well as when shredding for tacos.
- For a more flavorful broth, feel free to thin it out with more broth if desired.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop/Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 80mg