Tender beef and earthy pasilla peppers are slow stewed in a rich and smoky sauce to create some of the best tacos I’ve had in a long time. And the best part is that you can make these tacos at home, and in a crockpot, for an easy and healthy meal to serve the family on the busiest of weeknights. I’ll be honest, between work, my son’s sports activities, skiing and blogging, this winter has been crazy busy for me; and I’m guessing that you can relate? If so, I’m telling you, this recipe is a total life saver. It’s a cinch to make and you’ll have plenty of leftovers to store in the freezer for another effortless meal later on.
For those of you that do not care for spice, not to worry. The pasilla peppers used in this dish are very mild. They range from about 1,000 – 2,500 on the Scoville scale, meaning that they’re typically as hot as the mildest of jalapenos. They are used in this dish for their deep, raisin-like flavor, rather than their spice. They are absolutely delicious, so please don’t omit them.
To make this recipe, start by cutting a 3-lb beef chuck roast into 2-inch chunks, removing the larger pockets of fat as you work. Add the beef to a large crockpot followed by 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, ½ tablespoons of dried oregano, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 2 ounces of dried pasilla peppers, two, 12-ounce cans of lager beer, 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Stir the ingredients together, cover and cook the beef on low for 8 hours or until the beef is very tender.
After 8 hours, shred the beef with a fork, pull the peppers from their stems (and remove the stems) and stir in the juice of one lime along with another 1-2 teaspoons of kosher salt, depending on your taste. Cover the beef to keep warm while you make the coleslaw that will top the tacos.
This coleslaw is fabulous over top of these tacos, and while optional, I highly recommend it. To make, finely slice (or shred) 3 cups of cabbage. Add the cabbage to a large bowl along with 3 chopped scallions, ¼ cup of chopped cilantro, ½ teaspoon of powdered cumin, ½ teaspoon of dried oregano, ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons of canola oil (or a similar neutral tasting oil). Mix well.
To assemble the tacos, place a generous amount of shredded beef on top of softened corn or flour tortillas (Note: I like to toast my tortillas over a gas burner, but softening them up in the microwave or in the oven works too). Top the beef with a spoonful of coleslaw and a dash of hot sauce and devour. This recipe will serve a crowd, with plenty of leftovers.
Shredded Beef and Pasilla Pepper Tacos
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- ½ tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp kosher salt (Diamond brand)
- 2 oz dried (whole) pasilla peppers
- 2, 12-ounce cans of lager beer
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Coleslaw
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- 3 scallions, chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp canola oil (or similar neutral tasting oil)
Instructions
- Cut the beef chuck roast into 2-inch chunks, removing the larger pockets of fat as you work.
- Add the beef to a large crockpot followed by the garlic powder, dried oregano, kosher salt, dried pasilla peppers, beer, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Stir the ingredients together, cover and cook the beef on low for 8 hours or until the beef is very tender.
- After 8 hours, shred the beef with a fork, pull the peppers from their stems (and remove the stems) and stir in the juice from one lime along with another 1-2 teaspoons of kosher salt, depending on your taste. Cover the beef to keep warm while you make the coleslaw that will top the tacos.
- Finely slice (or shred) 3 cups of cabbage. Add the cabbage to a large bowl along with the remaining ingredients. Mix well.
- To assemble the tacos, place a generous amount of shredded beef on top of softened corn or flour tortillas. (Note: I like to toast my tortillas over a gas burner but softening them up in the microwave or in the oven works too). Top the beef with a spoonful of coleslaw and a dash of hot sauce.
- This recipe will serve a crowd, with plenty of leftovers. Enjoy!
2 thoughts on “Shredded Beef and Pasilla Pepper Tacos”
Where can one find dried Pasilla peppers?
Great question! I found them at my local grocery store, but if you don’t have luck there, you can find them on Amazon.