Shredded Barbacoa Beef

Here’s another take on tender shredded beef. I guess you could say it’s a knockoff of the barbacoa beef served at the Chipotle Mexican Grill, a popular restaurant in North America and some parts of Europe. It’s spicy, but not too spicy, and the herbs and spices give it great depth. It might be my new favorite!

Prep time 15 minutes
Serves 8 to 10

3- to 4-pound (1.4 to 1.8 kg) beef roast
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 or 2 chipotle peppers, plus 1 tablespoon (20 g) of sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 limes
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 bay leaves
1 small onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 15-ounce (425 g) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Paleo Tortillas, Southwest Cabbage Slaw, and Simple Guacamole, for serving

1 Rub the sea salt all over the roast.
2 Slice the chipotle pepper(s) in half, scrape out the seeds, and discard them. Mince the peppers and put them in a small bowl with the adobo sauce, garlic, juice from 1 lime, cumin, chili powder, oregano, black pepper, and cloves. Stir well and rub the paste all over the beef.
3 Place the bay leaves, onions, and tomatoes in a 4- or 6-quart (3.8 or 5.7 liter) slow cooker, depending on the size of the beef. Place the beef on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork.
4 Remove the roast from the cooker, shred it, and return it to the cooker. Toss the meat with the onions and tomatoes to combine. Stir in the fresh cilantro and the juice from half of the other lime. Cut the other half into wedges for serving.
5 Serve the beef with the tortillas, slaw, and Simple Guacamole.