I grabbed a cut of Brisket on the last run to the grocery store. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it until I did some recipe surfing and found Barbacoa popping up. In the back of my mind I thought of Chipotle's version - I'll occasionally stop there when I need a fast meal. There are a ton of recipe variations out there so it's long overdue to perfect & paleofy a version that can meet my standards. Feel free to pick the crock pot or the pressure cooker method - there is only a slight variation in the last step of the instructions.
Prep time: 1
Ingredients
- 6 lb. Beef Brisket (or roast cut into 4 or more large pieces, fat trimmed)
- 2 tablespoons oil (ideally coconut, ghee, lard, tallow) or bacon grease
- 1/2 cup apple Cider Vinegar
- 5 tablespoons Lime juice
- 1/2 can Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce (approximately 6 peppers)
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 1 tablespoons Ground Cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried Oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Sea Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1 1/2 cups Beef Stock (or Chicken)
- 4 bay leaves
Instructions
- In a large pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium-high heat and sear each side of the meat until browned – about 2-3 minutes on each side. Place the meat in either a crockpot or pressure cooker.
- Combine vinegar, lime juice, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt and cloves.
- Process ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. I did this in a small (Bullet) blender.
- Pour the blended sauce over the meat and add in the stock and bay leaves.
- Pressure cooker method: Cover with pressure cooker lid and heat on medium-high heat bringing to pressure according to the manufacturer’s directions. Cook at medium heat, without losing pressure, on highest pressure setting for 50 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool until pressure is released, about 15 minutes.
- Crockpot method: Cover and simmer for 6 or more hours on low heat until very tender.
Paleo Barbacoa Beef Recipe Variations
You can use Beef Tri Tip and cut it into large chunks to fit your cooker - If you prefer pork, try it with a Boston Butt. Don't drop too much below the 6 lb mark of the meat without adjusting your proportions - it can get quite tangy & spicy. I bought a can of San Marcos Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce but will consider this Chipotle Pepper recipe for a home made version.
Make It a Meal
Turn this recipe into a meal in a variety ways - it makes for a great salad, a great topping or addition to scrambled eggs or an omelet. Dare I say you can make barbacoa tacos or tortillas with this if you are 80%/20% on/off paleo family or are comfortable making "paleo-friendly" versions tortillas. I've worked on egg white tortillas and even used paleo-friendly flours but have yet to settle on a recipe I can call tasty - stay tuned though, this barbacoa recipe will be a staple so I'll need some variations for making it a regular meal.