Ingredients for 20 tacos
8 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeds
3 pounds boneless beef
ribs
1 ½ tablespoons of salt
1 ½ tablespoons of unsweetened
cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of vegetable
oil
1 cup yellow onion,
coarsely chopped
1 cup celery, coarsely
chopped
1 cup carrots,
coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely
chopped
1 cup of tomato paste
1 cup of red wine
4 cups of beef broth
2 teaspoons of ground
cumin
1 teaspoon of freshly
ground black pepper
1 ½ tablespoons of dried
oregano
10 tablespoons of Tabasco
sauce
20 corn tortillas
Chopped onions, for
garnish
Chopped cilantro, for
garnish
Limes for garnish
For the mezcal coleslaw
¼ cup of mezcal
½ cup sugar
¼ cup freshly squeezed
lemon juice
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup apple cider
vinegar
3 cups chopped cabbage
into strips
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Salt
Freshly ground black
pepper
Preparation
Of the meat:
Preheat the oven to
325°F.
In a skillet over
medium heat, lightly toast the chilies for 30 seconds on each side, until they
release their aroma but being careful they don’t get burned. Remove from heat
and reserve.
Season the meat with
salt and cocoa powder.
In a heavy pot with a
lid, over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil.
When the oil is hot,
add the meat and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until well evenly browned. Cook
in separate batches if necessary, adding more oil as needed to prevent the meat
to get burned. Put the meat on a plate and reserve.
Reduce heat to medium
and add the onion, celery and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic
and cook for 2 minutes, then add the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes more.
Add the wine and broth
into the pan and scrap the bottom with a wooden spoon.
Add the roasted chilies
and reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until the peppers are tender, about
5 minutes.
Add the cumin, pepper,
oregano and Tabasco sauce. Return the meat to the pot and cover. Put the pot in
the oven and cook for about 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.
Remove the meat from
the oven. Using tongs or a fork, remove the meat from the sauce and shred it.
Strain the sauce and
add a little to the shred meat. Rectify the seasoning.
Of the mezcal coleslaw:
Heat the mezcal in a
skillet over medium heat and flame it. Once the flame has gone down, add the
sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
Add lemon and orange
juices. Bring to boil and reduce heat to medium. Remove from heat and let cool
completely.
In a large bowl,
combine the mescal mixture with apple cider vinegar and cilantro. Stir in
cabbage, season with salt and pepper and stir well.
To assemble the tacos:
In a comal, griddle or large skillet, heat
the tortillas.
To assemble tacos, put
some meat on the tortilla and then coleslaw.
Garnish with chopped
onions, cilantro and serve with a slice of lime.
(*) Recipe by chef Aarón Sánchez.