Ancho Pepper Shredded Beef for Tacos

Shredded beef with ancho chiles tacos, garnished with tomatoes, queso fresco and cilantro.

Ancho Pepper Shredded Beef for Tacos

Bursting with flavor this Ancho Pepper Shredded Beef is incredibly easy to make. It’s perfect in dishes for all hours, from breakfast tacos to dinner tostadas!

Course Beef

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword ANCHO PEPPER SHREDDED BEEF FOR TACOS

Total Time 1 10

Servings

Calories 414kcal

Author Mely Martínez

Ingredients

20 oz. Flank Steak cut into large cubes
¼ Medium white onion
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
4 Ancho peppers cleaned and with the seeds removed
1 slice white onion ½-inch thick
1 garlic clove
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook the Meat

First, place the meat pieces in the pot and add the onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Cover with 8 cups of water and close the pot. Set the cooking time to the Meat setting. This will take 45 minutes in the Instant Pot.

Make the Sauce

While the meat is cooking, add the peppers to a bowl or saucepan with warm water to soak. After 20 minutes, the peppers will be soft.
Remove the peppers from the soaking water and place them into your blender along with the slice of onion, small garlic clove, and 2 cups of water. Process until you have a fine salsa. Set aside.

Shred de Meat

Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the pot and place it in a large container (wait until it is cool enough to handle).
Once it has cooled down, finely shred it using a pair of forks.

Combine Sauce and Meat

Now, warm the oil in a frying pan at medium-low heat, then pour the salsa in and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes, and then reduce the heat to low.
Add the shredded meat and season with cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Keep cooking for another 5 minutes. Check the seasoning again in case it needs any adjustments.
Serve and enjoy with warm flour tortillas, a hot tomatillo Salsa Verde, or the salsa of your choice. Enjoy!

Notes

NOTES:

I use the Instant Pot to cook the meat and finish the dish in a frying pan. If you use a regular pot to cook the meat, it will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes to cook it until tender. However, you can also use your slow cooker and cook it overnight for 6 hours on a low setting.
Ancho Peppers are very mild peppers; this is not a spicy dish at all, and everyone in the family can enjoy it.
This is a great recipe to make in double or triple batches to freeze; it freezes well for up to 2 months.
In some areas of the northern states of Mexico (as well as in some parts of Texas), cumin is very popular for these types of stews that use dried peppers. You are welcome to use more or less of it. The same applies to the oregano, season to adjust to your taste.

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