How to Make Shredded Beef For Mexican Food Recipes

Shredded beef is a great alternative to ground beef and you can use it in enchiladas, tacos, chimichangas or in your favorite Mexican food recipe. There are many variations to the classic shredded beef recipes and you can add your own seasonings and flavors to this tasty food. Beef cooked this way can be considered one of the traditional Mexican foods because it does feature in a lot of Mexican recipes.

It is also very easy to make and you can flavor it any way you want. Pot roast, round roast, sirloin tip, corned beef brisket, and stewing beef are especially good for making beef this way, but you can use pretty much any cut. Trim off any visible fat from the meat before you begin.

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Shredded Beef Step by Step

Put some lard or oil in an ovenproof pot on the stove, and then heat it. Season the beef with salt, pepper and your preferred spices, and then sear it all over in the hot oil. You might like to use cumin and chili powder, if you are making shredded beef for a Mexican recipe. Dried oregano is good too. Add water, broth, wine, soup or another liquid to the meat. You will need to add enough liquid so the beef floats.You can also add sliced onions and garlic if you like.

Cover the pot and braise the beef until it is tender. When you pull the meat and the fibers come apart, it is ready to be removed from the liquid. Pull the meat apart with a pair of forks or use a wooden spoon to break it up. You can add more seasonings at this point too, if you think the beef needs more flavor. Put the meat back in the pot, once you have shredded it, and combine it with the remaining liquid. You can also cook the beef in the oven or in a crockpot. As soon as the meat fibers can be pulled apart, the beef is done.

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Tips for Succulent Shredded Beef

If you are using a roast to make the beef, it is easiest to cut it across the grain before pulling it apart. You can cut a large piece of beef into several smaller pieces to shorten the cooking time. Braising is the cooking technique used to make beef this way for many Mexican dishes and this simply means that the meat is browned in lard or oil and then slow cooked in liquid in a covered pot.

It is worth making a lot of shredded beef at once, even if you do not need so much for your Mexican recipes, because it freezes well and you can simply thaw it for future recipes. When you have made your beef, simply warm some flour tortillas, then fill them with the beef, beans, rice, grated cheese and salsa for a simple Mexican meal, or choose another of many authentic Mexican food recipes with shredded beef.