Barbacoa Beef with Broccoli 

September 27, 2016 8 Comments

Category: Healthy Eating
Tags: Barbacoa Beef, Beef and broccoli, tasty tuesday

It’s fall which means it’s officially crock-pot season! 

Oh, how I’ve missed you, crock-pot! I am a huge fan of the slow cooker (AKA crock-pot) for so many reasons but mainly because…

• You only need a few ingredients to really pack a lot of flavor
• It’s perfect for my diet (meat and veggies) since I find carbs get way too mushy in there
• The crock-pot does all the work for you! You just add the ingredients and 8 hour later you have dinner
• Whether you’re making beef, chicken or pork, it makes your meat SO tender and juicy
• With one pot, clean up is a breeze!

With football season in full swing, we are often hosting Sunday dinner so this kitchen tool is essential. Since I knew we were having a lot of guys over last weekend, I decided do try this hearty, Barbacoa beef recipe that packed a lot of flavor (and some heat). Even with 7 pounds of beef, we didn’t have any leftovers.. I think it was a hit!

Barbacoa Beef with Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs chuck roast (note: this is a fatty meat so you’ll need to buy more than normal since you’ll be trimming the fat. So, instead of 1/2 pound per person I’d do 2/3 pound per person)
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 chiptoles in adobo sauce, chopped (if you don’t like spice, nix these)
• 1  can chopped green chiles
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 Tablespoon oregano
• 2 Teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup beef broth or water
• Large bunch of broccoli (I sometimes add edamame, peppers, etc)

(note: I know this looks like a lot of ingredients but they’re mostly spices and things you have in your pantry)

Directions:

• Trim fat off beef, cut into chunks and add salt/pepper
• Saute beef with garlic on the stove for a minute on each side. (This gives it a bit more crispiness to the sides so it’s not necessary but if you have a few extra minutes, it usually tastes better). Add meat to crock-pot
• Chop white onion and set add to crockpot
• Mix all other ingredients in separate bowl or cup and whisk. Then, pour ingredients over the meat/onions
• Cover and cook for 6-8 hours. 1/2 hour before it’s finished cooking, add broccoli (you don’t want it to be overdone so keep checking it)
• Once cooked, shred meat with two forks and serve

*Favorite Find*

It probably comes as no surprise that my favorite find of the week goes to… my crock-pot! If you don’t have one already, it’s an essential for the upcoming winter months. Mine is a 6-gallon (the bigger the better in my mind since leftovers are sometimes even better!), plus it has a timer, so you can leave your dishes to cook while you’re out for the day. This crock-pot from Target offers the same features and is less than $40, plus it’s free shipping – you can’t beat this deal!

A healthy eating series focusing on simple, low carb/sugar dishes in 30 minutes or less. For more info on how MS affects my eating habits, click here.