Slow Cooker Ancho Beef Tacos

My friends, working from home has its advantages and disadvantages. There are days when I don’t leave the house. While that might seem really cool to some of you, (not fighting commuter traffic or gossip at the office), it can sometimes border on the side of weird. The walls don’t talk back, and the people I socialize with (as opposed to my imaginary friends) are in the form of mini thumbnail pics on Facebook. That’s why each week, the hubs and I pack up our stuff and catch a ferry across the Bay to downtown San Diego to work. It’s a great way to get out of the house, dodge a few speedboats and see people in real life. On those days, I usually stick something into the slow cooker and return home to the magical smells of this wonderful kitchen invention. On one of my last trips off Coronado Island, I made Slow Cooker Ancho Beef Tacos.

To make the sauce, you need to reconstitute dried ancho chiles. Think of this as similar to bringing grapes back to life from raisins – only spicier and not so sweet. This is done by cutting the stems off with Kitchen Scissors, then slicing them lengthwise, and removing the veins and the seeds inside. Then, in a handy dandy stockpot, add water and the cleaned chiles. Bring them to a boil. Turn off the heat, and let sit for 10 minutes.

To the bottom of the slow cooker, add the sauce. I added strips of skirt steak without chopping into pieces. Once it is cooked, the meat will be very tender, and you will be able to shred with a fork. It’ll get totally forked. 😉 However, you can use chopped stew meat, even a cut up beef roast. Don’t forget to carefully turn to coat the meat.

Last but not least, heat up a dozen corn tortillas and serve with lime wedges (the only acceptable wedgie in our house). Slow Cooker Ancho Beef Tacos are delicious and full of flavor. Top with fresh, diced onions and cilantro. Reserve a small portion for your own future snack. Hope you enjoy!