This rich and flavorful beef barbacoa is made with tender short ribs and oxtail, slow-cooked in a spicy, smoky chipotle sauce. The meat is shredded and crisped under the broiler, then coated with a reduced sauce for the perfect blend of savory and tangy flavors. Ideal for tacos, burritos, or serving over rice.
Ingredients
Chipotle Sauce:
- 3 chipotles in adobo sauce
- 2 tsp adobo
- 3 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp beef bouillon
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup beef stock
Barbacoa:
- 3 lbs boneless beef short ribs
- 1 lb oxtail
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 oz jalapeño, diced
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 orange (zest and juice)
Directions
- Chipotle Sauce:
- Place all the ingredients for the chipotle sauce into a blender. Purée until smooth. Adjust for spiciness if desired.
- Prepare the Meat:
- Trim all visible fat from the short ribs and the larger chunks from the oxtail. Dice the short ribs into 2-inch pieces.
- Brown the Meat:
- Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Season the meat with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Brown the meat in batches with vegetable oil. Once browned, remove and set aside.
- Cook the Vegetables:
- Add the diced onions to the pot and sauté until softened.
- Add the jalapeños and cook until softened as well.
- Add Tomato Paste:
- Stir in the tomato paste and brown it slightly.
- Deglaze the pot with the juice from the orange and the beef stock.
- Pressure Cook the Meat:
- Add the browned meat back into the Instant Pot along with the orange zest and bay leaves.
- Pour the chipotle sauce into the Instant Pot until it reaches the fill line.
- Set the Instant Pot to manual pressure on high for 45 minutes. Make sure the keep-warm setting is off.
- Release Pressure:
- Let the pressure release naturally until the red valve drops down. Manually release any remaining pressure before opening the lid.
- Shred the Meat:
- Once the meat is cool enough to handle, strain out the liquid and shred the meat.
- Reduce the Sauce:
- Simmer the strained liquid until it reduces and coats the back of a spoon, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Store or Serve:
- Keep the shredded meat and sauce separate.
- Portion into food saver bags once cooled to refrigerate or freeze.
- To serve, heat the sauce and flash the meat under a broiler to crisp the edges. Add sauce as needed.
