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Oh my goodness! Can you guess what I’ve been craving again? Yup! Tacos!

Are you ready for this? It’s my take on the classic barbacoa, and I must say, it’s absolutely  fabulous, daaaaahlings! 😉 This will make enough beefy goodness for approximately 15 over-stuffed tacos (I always figure on about 3 tacos per person.) Soooo… this will feed 5 hungry people, and you may have some **left over.

I experimented with this particular recipe 2 ways. The first time I made it in the Crock Pot and it was very good, but was a bit watery for my taste. The second time I made it in my cast iron Dutch oven. It turned out so much better. Soooo tender and the tomatoes thickened up a bit which is exactly the texture I was going for. The Crock Pot is good for so many things, but if you want these to turn out perfect, slow cook this particular dish in your oven.

for the barbacoa {taco meat} :

~ preheat your oven to 300 degrees F ~

2 and 1/2 to 3 lb. chuck arm roast

flour for dredging

3-4 Tablespoons olive oil for browning

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for sprinkling

1 large onion, chopped

2 (15 oz.) cans fire roasted, petite diced tomatoes (I use Muir Glen)

1/2 habanero pepper, chopped very fine

1 whole jalapeno pepper, chopped very fine

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 Tablespoons smoked paprika

1 heaping Tablespoon chili powder

1 Tablespoon cumin

1 Tablespoon Mrs. Dash Onion & Herb Blend

1 teaspoon garlic powder OR 2 large, fresh garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Dredge roast in flour, generously coating both sides and edges. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Once hot, place roast in skillet and brown (approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side.) Transfer to a cast iron Dutch oven (coated or uncoated.) Season well with salt and pepper. Top with: onion, petite diced tomatoes, habanero, jalapeno, white wine, and all seasonings. Cover and place in preheated oven. Bake for 3 and 1/2 hours or until the meat is super tender and just starting to fall apart. Don’t over-cook or your meat will become dry. Once done, remove from oven and set aside, keeping the cover on the Dutch oven until you’re ready to make your tacos.

for the tacos:

15 to 20 warm corn or flour tortillas (corn is my favorite) OR Paleo tortillas

barbacoa meat + tomato/pepper/onion mixture (recipe above)

shredded cheddar, queso fresco or this yogurt cheese

fresh salsa or pico (or your favorite jarred stuff)

avocado chunks OR homemade guacamole

purple slaw (shredded cabbage + mayo + sugar)

fresh, chopped cilantro

lime wedges (for squeezing over)

sour cream (optional)

Sriracha (or your favorite hot sauce)

Plate the warm tortillas and fill with any or all of the above fillings/toppings. Serve with your favorite Mexican beer or THESE margaritas!

**If you do, by some miracle, actually end up with leftovers make sure you carefully hide them in the back of your refrigerator so you can have the for lunch the next day.

Enjoy!

~Melissa