Ingredients

The following ingredients have 10 Servings
  • 2 pounds beef shank*
  • 4 pounds beef chuck
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 dried Guajillo chiles**
  • 2 dried California chiles
  • 4 plum tomatoes
  • 1 7-ounce can chipotle in adobo (I used only half a can to keep it mild)
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Mexican Oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup white onion, diced
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 ½ quarts beef stock or broth
  • 20 6-inch corn tortillas (you could also use flour tortillas)
  • 2 cups Cotija cheese, crumbled
  • 1 small bunch cilantro leaves
  • 2-3 fresh jalapenos, sliced thin
  • ½ cup finely diced white onion
  • 2-3 fresh limes cut into wedges

Instruction

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  • Leave shank whole and cut the chuck into large pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in a two-gallon bag or container. If you do not have a two-gallon bag, you could split between two one-gallon bags.
  • Line a small sheet tray with foil.
  • Heat one cup of water in a small sauce pan.
  • Remove and discard stem and seeds from peppers then lay out dry on the sheet tray.
  • Cut tomatoes in half the long way and lay cut side up on same sheet tray.
  • Place in the oven for ten minutes then remove the peppers and flip the tomatoes and cook the tomatoes for ten more minutes.
  • As soon as the peppers come out of the oven, place in the hot water and cover the sauce pan with a lid and let steep for 15 minutes.
  • After the peppers steep, place the peppers with their liquid, the charred tomatoes, the chipotle in adobo, garlic, oregano, cumin and vinegar into a blender and puree. Cool to room temperature.
  • As soon as the mixture cools, pour over the beef and refrigerate overnight.
  • Five hours before serving, heat oven to 325 degrees F.
  • In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, heat oil and add onions, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and garlic and cook for three minutes.
  • Add stock, the marinated beef and everything from the marinade bag into the Dutch oven and bring up to hot on the stove top.
  • Cover and place in the oven for four hours, untouched.
  • After four hours remove the beef and shred and discard any marrow bones, cinnamon stick and bay leaves. (Do not discard the liquid)
  • Skim the fat from the liquid and save both the fat and the liquid.
  • While the beef is cooking, prepare all of the serving ingredients.
  • If your corn tortillas are dry, wrap in a wet paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds to a minute.
  • To serve, heat a large flat grill pan over medium heat and brush on some of the fat you skimmed off of the cooking liquid.
  • Then dip corn tortillas in the liquid then place onto the pan.
  • Top each with about 2-ounces of shredded beef, the Cotija cheese, cilantro leaves, diced onions and a few jalapeno slices and cook to brown. Fold in half and serve with lime wedges and little bowls of the cooking liquid for each guest.
  • Dip folded taco into the liquid before eating.
  • Assuming a portion is two tacos, this recipe should yield approximately 20 tacos and serves 10.