Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef

Hey ya'll!  I have totally become a Texan...I cooked me my first brisket.  Yee haw!  And boy howdy, it was delicious.  This isn't traditional Texan BBQ.  Baby steps...baby steps.  This meal feeds a ton and it's delicious.  So make it ya'll!

Makes enough meat to stuff 30 tacos

4 chipotle peppers (from a can) plus all the adobo sauce it sits in (or just the sauce :))
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 red onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 head garlic, peeled and cloves smashed
5 dry bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Juice of 4 limes
1/2 cup cider vinegar
5 to 7 pounds beef brisket
4 to 6 cups beef or chicken stock

Stir together chipotle peppers and sauce, cilantro, red onion, garlic, clove, salt, lime juice, and cider vinegar in the insert of a slow cooker (if you have a food processor, pulse till combined first before adding). Place the brisket on top of this mixture. (I like to cut my brisket in two pieces so it fits better in the slow cooker.) Add stock to cover the meat and place bay leaves on top. Use tongs to move the meat around gently to combine everything and put the lid on.

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Once finished, turn crock pot to WARM and let sit for 6 to 8 hours.
I like to make mine before bed and then let it sit on WARM overnight. This allows the meat to cook fully and then come to a point where it can be shredded easily and will essentially fall apart when pulled with a fork. If you don't have overnight to accomplish this, another hour of cooking on HIGH will get the job done. The meat will not be as tender, but will still be tasty.

Remove meat from slow cooker and place on rimmed baking sheet. Use two forks to pull the meat apart. Discard the fat, if desired. If you plan on frying it again before use, the small fat bits are extra tasty and should be kept! Place shredded beef in large bowl and ladle cooking liquid over the top a few scoops at a time. You want the meat to hold the liquid but not swim in it.

To keep it warm for guests you can return it to your slow cooker after you have removed the remaining liquid. That liquid is extra tasty and can be frozen into ice cube-sized portions to be used in other dishes later, if you so desire. Serve with fresh tortillas, onion, cilantro, and salsa.

Note: This recipe makes roughly 30 tacos, give or take. You can make two recipes back to back in your slow cooker for the initial 4 hour cooking time (or two slow cookers at the same time) and then add the meat to the same slow cooker to sit overnight since the meat will have reduced in size. This will allow 60 tacos of meat to be finished up at the same time.

Marinated Flank Steak

These are the recipes from my healthy friend, Sue. This flank steak recipe is very easy and very tasty. The meat is very low in fat so it is healthy too!

Put 1 large flank steak in a gallon ziplock bag or container; cover in marinade. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, turning the bag over after 2 hours.

Broil or barbeque the steak for about 10 minutes on each side or until done to your preference. I would be careful of overcooking as the meat could be dry and tough. Slice in very thin slices cross grain. Serve immediately.

Teriyaki Marinade:

1 C. soy sauce
1/2 C. maple syrup (Sue says this has to be the real stuff-I got it at REAL FOODS)
1/2 C. olive oil
1 T. minced garlic
1 T. minced ginger or 1 1/2 T. ground giner
1 tsp. Real Salt
1 tsp. pepper

Or, you can use Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce instead

( This marinade is delicious on chicken, too!)

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

If you can't tell, I've been in the mood to cook lately. I'm also trying to eat healthily as well. I got this one off the the eatbetteramerica.com site. But I did change it quite a bit. I will list what I did.

8oz uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
1 T. sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. minced ginger
1 lb boneless beef top sirloin steak, trimmed of fat, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1large red, yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1small onion, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
1 -3 bunches broccoli florets
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2cup reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce
1 TB cornstarch
2 tablespoons chopped green onions (2 medium)

1. Cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package; cover to keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger, cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add beef; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes until beef is no longer pink; remove from pan.

3. Add bell pepper and onion to skillet; cook and stir 1 minute. Add broccoli; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Stir in water and crushed red pepper. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender.

4. In small cup, mix teriyaki sauce and cornstarch. Stir teriyaki sauce and beef into broccoli mixture in skillet. Cook and stir over high heat until sauce is thickened and heated through. (I added extra water because the sauce was to thick for my liking.) Toss broccoli mixture with spaghetti. Garnish with green onions.

You could omit the noodles and serve over rice too.

Three Bean and Beef Chili

This is also an Ellie Krieger recipe, it is also healty and very good. I really liked it with a small amount of sour cream and cheese, but Devin liked to have corn chips with it....to each his own.


1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced (1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pound extra-lean ground beef (90 percent lean)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
I added a 1/2 cup lentils, navy beans instead of pinto beans, and garlic and onion salt rather than just regular salt. I also cooked my own beans, but I'm sure the canned work great!

Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and salt and pepper. Cook, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and continue cooking, partially covered, 20 minutes longer. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis per Serving
Calories 295
Total fat 8 grams
Saturated fat 2.5 grams
Protein 22 grams
Carbohydrates 35 grams
Fiber 10 grams

Ribeye Steaks with Chipotle Butter

We just tried this, and it's pretty good!

2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. Adobo sauce (buy the smallest can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce possible)
4 8-10 oz boneless beef rib eye steaks, cut 1 inch thick
1 recipe Chipotle Butter
Fresh Cilantro or Parsley

1. In a bowl stir together cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir in olive oil and adobo sauce (from the canned chipotle pepper used in Chipotle Butter) until a paste forms. Spread spic mixture onto both sides of steaks.
2. Grill steaks on rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium heat, turning once until desired doneness. Allow 14 to 18 minutes for medium. Serve with Chipotle Butter. Makes four servings

Chipotle Butter: Stir together 1/4 cup softened butter, 1 tbsp. finely chopped shallots, 2 tsp. snipped fresh cilantro, 1 1/2 tsp. lime juice, and 1 teaspoon finely chopped chipotle chili pepper in adobo sauce.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

1 lb. spaghetti (or other pasta)
Salt, for water

Meatballs:
1 1/4 lbs ground beef (I used the super lean or even ground turkey)
2 tps Worchestershire sauce, eye ball it
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C. Italian bread crumbs (a couple of handfulls)
1/4 C. parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper

Sauce:
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (I use a dash of Tabasco)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 C. beef stock (this is in carton's in the soup aisle, I only use 1/2 cup or sauce is more runny than I prefer)
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
10 leaves fresh basil, chopped (If you don't care for the taste of basil a whole lot just do a tsp of dried)
A handful of chopped parsley (I sometimes just use a Tbsp of dried)
More Parmesan cheese to top

Preheat oven to 425

Place a large pot of water to boil pasta. Add salt to water and cook pasta according to directions

mix beef and Worcestershire, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll Meat into 1 1/2 in. balls and place on nonstick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet greased. Bake balls 10-12 minutes, till no longer pink.

Heat a deep skillet or medium pot over medium heat. Add oil, and saute onion and garlic with the Tabasco or red pepper flakes until onions are translucent (add garlic last and be careful not to burn it!). Add beef stock crushed tomatoes, and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

Toss hot, drained pasta with a few ladles of the sauce and grated cheese. Turn meatballs in remaining sauce. Place pasta on dinner plates and top with meatballs and sauce and extra grated cheese. Serve with bread or garlic bread.

this makes quite a bit, so I hope your hungry!!!