It’s mid-summer and it’s hot. Really hot. The thought of cranking up the oven this evening to get dinner on the supper table is like nails on a chalkboard right now. Maybe it’s my country roots, but I grew up under the premise that one should AVOID TURNING THE OVEN ON in the summer at all costs.  Methinks that could be because Al & Rox (the parentals) didn’t deem it necessary to turn on the one ancient air conditioner until July, in rural Kansas nonetheless. “The attic fan brings in a nice breeze.”  A breeze of arid, 100 degree heat, but a breeze nonetheless…as we children lay lifeless on the kitchen floor.  But I digress!  Where is this going?  To the good old crockpot, of course. In my opinion, the crockpot is the unsung hero of hot summer days.

One gets the effect of slowly braising in a cozy warm oven, without sweating bullets from the heat of a hot stove.  So, we eat lots o’ shredded roast beef dishes in the summer in the Farmer Girl household.  A roast is an easy dish to prepare for busy folks – it shouldn’t be relegated to winter cooking only.  A beef chuck or arm roast is perfect for shredding and making into sandwiches, tacos, burritos, and other pulled or shredded meat dishes.

I started the week with the ingredients purchased for the Hispanic Kitchen’s slow cooker tri-tip shredded beef tacos…only to end up with half the time, a third of the ingredients, and once again, my three little ones scampering around my feet. So below is my take on the Hispanic Kitchen’s shredded taco.  Apologies upfront for the lack of specific measurement on the spices…I was debating the difference between a triceratops and a stegosaurus with my four year old as I seasoned. No worries – the tacos are great!  Evidence that shredded roast via the crockpot is a great choice for hot summer days filled with dinosaurs. Enjoy!

Shredded Grass Fed Beef Soft Tacos

 Serving Size: 8 servings 

Cooking: Easy 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Ingredients

• 1 grass fed chuck or arm roast, ~ 2 to 3 pounds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can chopped green chiles (~4.5 ounces)
• Olive oil
• The juice from 1 lime juice
• Cumin powder
• Dried oregano
• Garlic powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Whole wheat tortillas
• Shredded cheese
• Tomatoes, diced or sliced
• Red onion, sliced
• Lettuce, shredded or torn

Directions

The Farmer Girl roast can be frozen or thawed. For a frozen roast, allow for 8 hours of cooking via the crockpot. For a thawed roast, allow for 4 to 5 hours of cooking.  The directions below are for a frozen roast.

1.) Chop the onion, and place it on the bottom of a crockpot. Add the green chiles. Remove the packaging and netting from the Farmer Girl roast, and place on top of the onion and chiles.  Squeeze the juice from one lime over the meat, then place the squeezed lime in the crockpot.  Drizzle olive oil over the top of the roast.  Add the cumin,oregano, garlic powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper, to your taste.  Turn the crockpot on low and let cook all day, until the roast is fork tender and easily falls apart, approximately 8 hours.

2.) Remove the roast to a plate and shred. Discard some of the juice (but not the onions or chiles!) from the crockpot prior to returning the shredded meat, reserving  enough liquid to keep the beef moist without drowning the taco. Return the shredded beef to the crockpot and keep warm until serving.

3.) Chop the tomatoes, slice the red onion, and shred or tear the lettuce. Briefly warm the whole weat tortillas. Top a tortilla with a portion of the shredded beef mixture, shredded cheese, tomato, red onion, and lettuce. Fold and serve.

I hope you and your guests enjoy this Shredded Beef Soft Tacos Recipe!