Another simple recipe that yields great results: Shredded beef using a brisket cut. Use it to make chopped and shredded beef that is perfect for tacos or burritos. For this recipe I wanted to keep the flavors clean and simple, so I didn’t go for a marinated beef as you have in carne asada. I also decided to go without the Guinness as a braising liquid. Instead I went for a wonderful bone broth to pump up the flavor without masking the flavor of the beef.
The beef is from my favorite meat folks at Prather Ranch. There are lots of cuts to use (chuck roast being another great choice), I chose the brisket cut. I was going for that moist, mouth-watering, pull-apart texture that you find in a really great pastrami or corned beef. You can also check out my corned beef tacos here.
Brown In The Pot
Doing a quick browning in the Instant Pot also adds to the depth of flavor, so be sure not to skip that step. It’s a quick sear on the outside you are looking for. Don’t be afraid to give it some color.
Taco Time
We love to make small street-sized tacos, even though we do still manage to try to overload them with toppings! I like to think of them as bite-sized morsels of deliciousness. (I really did try to use each one as an opportunity to do different bites on each one).
Ingredients
- 2 lb Beef brisket
- Olive oil
- 14 oz Epic bison apple cider bone broth or beef bone broth
- 1 Onion
- 2 cloves Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
Taco Ingredients
- Street-size flour tortillas
- 1 Red onion finely chopped
- Cilantro chopped
- Lettuce thinly sliced
- Cheddar cheese blend shredded
- Refried beans
- Avocado halved and thinly sliced
- Sour cream or crema
Instructions
- Gather ingredients and tools.Cut your brisket into two pieces. Note: If it is large, you may want to make 3 pieces. The pieces should fit easily in the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Peel and quarter the onion. Peel the garlic cloves. Set aside.
- Turn the pot to Sauté. Add some olive oil in the bottom of the pot and place one piece of brisket in the pot. Let it begin to sear on one side without turning it or moving it around. Then flip it over and sear the second side. You want to get some good browning on both sides. Remove to a side plate. Repeat with all pieces.
Note: if the meat is sticking, use a silicone spatula to help move it around.
- Pour bone broth into the bottom of the pot and use the spatula to loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the meat into the pot and add the onions and garlic.Turn off sauté. Put the lid on and set the vent to closed. Turn the Instant Pot on to manual, high for 90 minutes.Leave to do a natural pressure release for 15 minutes, and then carefully release the remaining pressure.
- While the meat is cooking, you can begin to prepare the toppings for your tacos. Chop up onions and cilantro, and slice lettuce and avocados. Feel free to use your favorite ingredients!
- After pressure is released, remove the meat to a cutting board and let it rest for a few minutes. Strain the liquid in the pot, and reserve the broth for adding some back into the meat. The rest you can use in future recipes.
- Cut the meat thickly against the grain, and roughly chop (in my case the meat just fell apart as I was cutting it!)
- Heat the tortillas by holding them in a dry cast iron pan for a few seconds, and the flipping them over. Serve hot.
- Top the tortillas with the shredded beef and your choice of toppings, and don’t forget the sour cream! Enjoy!
