TFF – Mexican Pot Roast
15 May
It’s Friday – and quite frankly, I’m relieved. I’ve been cooped up all week with a sick child – and if I have to sit through one more episode of Phineas and Ferb, I’m going to lose my mind. As I write this, I’m still not sure if Alexander is well enough to go to school today – and although the pile of missed work already looks like Mount Everest, he is itching to go back to school and hang out with his posse of girls.
My son, the ringleader of 4th grade.
Anyways, let’s talk about pot roast, although this can be best described in three words: FAB-U-LOUS. It was easy and full of flavor. Just look at the list of ingredients – it’s all good stuff in there! And all of you cilantro-haters out there (and you know who you are!), just look the other way when you add it, okay?
I did change the preparation method a little, because I have a brand spankin’ new 7 quart slow cooker that was calling my name from the cabinet. I did brown the roast with the onion and garlic in a skillet first, and I also decreased the amount of water, since slow cookers retain all the juices anyways. From there, I just threw everything else in, pressed the button for 2 hours on low, and walked away.
I love my slow cooker.
This was perfect – but really, you want to know one of the best features? The leftovers stashed in my freezer 
Mexican Pot Roast Tacos -Tyler Florence
Extra virgin olive oil
3 pounds shoulder of beef
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 28 oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes (I used crushed)
3 dried red chiles (I used crushed red pepper)
1 tbs. ground cumin
1 tbs. ancho chile powder (I used Mexican Hot Chile powder)
½ bunch fresh cilantro
Water
2 tbs. red wine vinegar
For serving:
8 fresh medium corn tortillas
3 cups finely shredded romaine lettuce
½ bunch fresh cilantro
1/3 pound Cotija cheese, crumbled
2 limes, cut into wedges for garnish
Drizzle beef shoulder with oil, then season with plenty of salt and black pepper. Set a large, heavy based pot over medium high heat. Sear on all sides until you have a nice brown crust, adding additional oil as necessary to prevent sticking. Add onion and garlic to the pot and stir until they caramelize a little and have contact with the bottom of the pot. Add the tomatoes with juices, chiles, cumin, chile powder and the ½ bunch cilantro. Add 2 inches of water to the pot. Crush tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, until the meat is fork-tender and comes apart with little resistance. Once cooked, use a wooden spoon to break apart the meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add the vinegar.
If you like, warm the tortillas over an open flame on a gas stove, about 10 seconds per side. Serve the meat in tortillas with romaine, cilantro, cheese and lime wedges.
Looks absolutely delicious! I do love cilantro, so any extra can go on mine. There is one for me, isn’t there? Also, I would like a cerveza with mine, por favor.
Oh I am going to try this next week. My husband said today that he is in the mood for tacos. This looks awesome!
Yum–I’ll add the extra cilantro too. I love shreddd beef tacos!
What a delicious way to make pot roast! I will have to try this!
My mom would make something like this all time when I was growing up. I’m sure it was delicious.
Only two hours?!?!? Really?!?!? I was planning on making this in the crockpot at some point as well, good to know it was a success.
I’ve never made a pot roast before, this sounds like a yummy recipe. I like the idea of having the leftovers.
Irony here? Before turning on my pc today, I pulled out my skillet and my slow cooker, seared a couple of roasts and threw them in the crock pot with cilantro and jalapenos and tomatoes and onions and garlic…. sounding familiar yet?
I did love this recipe when I tried it the firs time, which is why I’m making a variation right now for a family gathering!
I hope Alexander was feeling well enough for school and his girls.
OMG.. this sounds fantastic. A must try on my list for sure. It looks so delicious!
Now that I’m all grown up, I love cilantro. I also love using my slow cooker or Dutch oven. This looks delish, though I might have to reduce the heat a bit since I’m a weenie.
This recipe caught my eye the other day…I’m glad to hear it comes out so nicely! Way to go! And…if you need more cilantro, we can just step out and pick some…
i’m a cilantro hater, but i just did my herb garden and i put it in there anyway. i will admit sometimes it does add something… as long as i can’t really taste it! i love my slow cooker, i really need to use it more often. maybe i’ll start with this recipe, it does look delicious.
Oh, I’m so glad I had the chance to catch up with the Google Reader tonight. I just took a roast out of the freezer that I was planning on tossing into the slow cooker. Now I have the recipe for it!! Thanks, Megan. I can’t wait to give it a try.
This recipe looks fantastic!
I need a slow cooker! I always need something baking/cooking related. This looks sooo good and makes me sad I am not going to Mexico anymore.