Picadillo – Mexican Shredded Beef

I love a good Carnitas, or Carne Asada, but I really enjoy Picadillo, which is Mexican Shredded Beef that is cooked in a red chile sauce! I have looked all over for a good recipe, tried many, but this one, from Food and Wine magazine, with some modifications, nailed it! Let’s get to it!

Ingredients:
4 dried Guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 dried Ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
3#’s beef brisket
2#’s pork butt

Brisket and pork butt

salt
3 TBS vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
9 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp coriander seeds
5 Roma tomatoes, cored and seeded
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 2″ piece of cinnamon stick
2 cups of chicken stock
1 tsp Mexican dry oregano
pepper

First start with the dried chiles. In a bowl add the chiles with hot, hot water to soften. Give these about 30 minutes to do their thing.

Soaking the peppers

While these are soaking, add the vegetable oil to a cast iron dutch oven. Heat and start to brown the meat, one piece at a time. Each piece should take you about 10 minutes. As the meat browns I work on the prepping the other items. As the pieces brown move them off to a platter.

Browned meat

Turn the oven on to 325. Mix the onion, garlic, cumin and coriander together.

Onions, garlic, cumin and coriander seeds

Prep the tomatoes.

Cored and seeded tomatoes

Chopped tomatoes and cinnamon

Prep the peppers. Drain the water on the soaking peppers and chop. Set aside in a bowl.

Seeded and chopped peppers

Once the meat is all browned, toss the onion and garlic mixture into the dutch oven and cook until the onions turn translucent.

Cooking the onions and garlic

Then add in the chiles and jalapeno, tomatoes, and the stick of cinnamon.

Lovely colors with the tomato, cinnamon and peppers

Add the oregano and stir to combine well. Then add the meat back to the pot.

Add the meat to the pot

Season with salt and pepper.  Pour the broth over the meat then cover and place in the oven.  After one hour, turn the meat and remove the cinnamon stick.  Cook another hour or until the meat is tender.  When done remove the meat from the pot.

Remove the meat

Take the juices from the pot, and in batches puree. Strain the blended mixture.

Strain the sauce

Once the meat has cooled, shred it.

Shred the meat

Then add the strained sauce to the meat.

Add the sauce to the meat

You can use this meat in enchiladas, tacos, or try it in a tostada!

This was really yummy and I hope that you try it! Thanks for stopping by today and have a wonderful Monday!

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