Shredded Beef Tacos (Carne Deshebrada)

Name: Shredded Beef Tacos (Carne Deshebrada)
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Cuisine: Latin America & Caribbean, Mexican
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups, beer; 1/2 cup, cider vinegar; 2 ounces (4 to 6), dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn into 1-inch pieces; 2 tablespoons, tomato paste; 6 , garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled; 3 , bay leaves; 2 teaspoons, ground cumin; 2 teaspoons, dried oregano; , Salt and pepper; 1/2 teaspoon, ground cloves; 1/2 teaspoon, ground cinnamon; 1 , large onion, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds; 3 pounds, boneless beef short ribs, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes; 1 cup, cider vinegar; 1/2 cup, water; 1 tablespoon, sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons, salt; 1/2 head, green cabbage, cored and sliced thin (6 cups); 1 , onion, sliced thin; 1 , large carrot, peeled and shredded; 1 , jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced; 1 teaspoon, dried oregano; 1 cup, chopped fresh cilantro; 18 , (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed; 4 ounces, queso fresco, crumbled (1 cup); , Lime wedge

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By Andrew Janjigian

Appears in Cook's Illustrated March/April 2014, America's Test Kitchen TV

Main Courses

Latin America & Caribbean

Classic shredded beef tacos are known for their robust meatiness. So why do most recipes use a marginally beefy cut and throw a ton of meaty flavor down the drain?

SERVES6 to 8

TIME3½ to 4 hours

has video

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

In order to achieve a moist, tender, and richly flavored beef taco filling, we cooked boneless short ribs slowly and gently in a covered Dutch oven over a sauce base of dark beer, vinegar, and dried ancho chiles. In order to maximize browni...

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