Spicy Shredded Beef

I love this recipe. Not only is it easy, but it can take a smaller, inexpensive cut of beef and turn it into a succulent, tangy, spicy dish that is so versatile.

When finished cooking and shredding the beef, add a can of great northern beans and carrots and you have a great stew, or add kidney beans for a thick chili, or top with a cornbread batter for an awesome Tex-Mex casserole, or even put over hotdogs or on hamburger buns with coleslaw for a spicy joe! Use your imagination and have fun with it!

Let me know how you adapted it for your family!
On to the recipe!

• 1 1/2 to 2 lb Boneless English Beef Roast
• salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
• extra virgin olive oil for cooking

• 1 cup diced white onion
• 2 large minced garlic cloves

• 1 (4 oz) can roasted green chilis (I love the La Perfida brand)
• 1 small chipotle (about 1 Tablespoon) with about 1 teaspoon chipotle sauce from the can. Use only 1/2 Tablespoon chipotle if you'd like a little less heat.
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano, crushed lightly between your fingertips as you sprinkle it into the sauce
• juice of 1/2 small lime; sprinkle in after it's done cooking. 

Season the roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder on both sides.
Over medium-high heat, drizzle about a tablespoon or two, depending on the size of your roast, in the pan. When oil begins to look wavy and pan is heated, put in the roast, being careful not to splatter oil on yourself.

When the beef gets nicely browned, turn over to the other side, turn heat down to medium, push the beef to one side, and add the onions, stirring occasionally.

When onions begin to soften just a bit, add garlic, chilies, tomato paste, chipotle and chipotle sauce.

Sprinkle in the Mexican Oregano while gently crushing the leaves a little with your fingertips. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir with wooden spatula until onions, chipotle and tomato paste are blended, being sure to use your wooden spoon or spatula to smash/chop at the chipotle. I don't know about you, but I don't really want to bite into a chunk of chipotle lol...eep!

Add the can of whole tomatoes, with juice, sugar, honey, and more salt (to taste..maybe 1/4-1/2 teaspoon, taste later to add more salt, if needed.) Stir until blended, breaking apart the tomatoes as you stir. Move the beef to the center of the pan, spooning some sauce over the meat so it's covered.

ooooooooo I can almost smell it! yum!
Turn the heat down to a very low simmer, and cover, checking occasionally and giving it a little stir. After about 2 hours, check and stir again, then leave the lid tilted on the pan, so to let some steam escape and the sauce to thicken a little while it cooks. But you don't want it to thicken too fast, or it'll stick & burn before the meat becomes tender.

Depending on the size of your roast, it will take 4-5 hours to be able to break apart easily with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Remove from heat and let cool before covering and putting in the fridge. 

The next day, let it sit out to take the chill off the pan, then put it on the lowest simmer possible and warm it up (with the lid on).
Take the lid off and stir & shred up the meat.  Taste for salt, squeeze some fresh lime juice on it and serve!

*If it is too spicy, you can add a small can of tomato sauce and a pinch of salt and pepper to ease it up. But I am a heat wimp and I love this sweet heat. YUM!

 Great to serve at a self-serve taco bar!

On fresh corn tortillas with mozzarella and sour cream. -drool-

Chili-Jack Stuffed Chicken Rolls

Look how juicy that chicken is..mmmMM!  I'm very fond of those little cans of roasted green chilis commonly found in the ethnic foods isle or your mexican grocery. SO good. They add so much flavor to your food, with little heat. I'm a wimp and can't handle much HOTness, but I LOVE these. 
The extra pepper jack cheese can be used to make Pepper Jack Cheese bites.
 YUM!
On to the recipe!

• 6 chicken breast halves, skinless, boneless, trimmed and pounded 1/4 inch, or so, thin
• 1 (8 oz brick) of good Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
• 2 small 4 oz cans of roasted mild green chilis (I use La Preferida brand)
• about 1/2 cup or so of a Honey & Brown sugar type barbecue sauce (see? Save that little bit left in the bbq bottle for recipes like this. Just stick into freezer baggie and freeze! My freezer door is half full of saved stuff like this hehe)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• garlic powder,salt and pepper to tase
• flour and bread crumbs for coating. Depending on the size of your chicken breasts, 1 cup of flour and 2 cups of crumbs should do it.
• couple tablespoons of vegetable oil 
• toothpicks

Pound out chicken breasts to about 1/4 inch thickness.
Lightly salt & pepper all the breasts, divide chilis between all the chicken breasts & spread with a spoon.
Generously sprinkle all the breasts with the cheese and dot with about a tablespoon of bbq sauce.

Roll up and secure with toothpicks. Some breasts may take more toothpicks than others, that's okay.  It's messy, and doesn't look pretty, but be patient. (THAT is something THEY don't tell you. lol)

Heat up a large frying pan with enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. A dry-ish pan or spray isn't going to work well with this.

Set up your workstation of flour, eggs, bread crumbs, med-high hot pan, and start rolling.

Gently roll around in flour, dusting off any big clumps of flour.
Carefully roll in beaten eggs,  and then set in bread crumbs and scoop bread crumbs up and all over the chicken breast, so not to have to handle it a lot in the bread crumbs.
Give the breast a little tap, to shake off a little of the excess, but not too much.
Stick into hot pan, season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder, and repeat with the rest of the breasts.

Using tongs, gently turn over breasts when they get a nice golden color, and season lightly again. You don't want to cook them, just brown them and make them look yummy.
Put rolls onto a sprayed (greased) piece of foil on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven of 350 for about 20 minutes, or until juices run clear. Let stand before cutting.

mmmmmmmmmm I can almost smell them now!
Slice and enjoy! Serve with bbq sauce, if desired.

The leftovers, if you have any, are great sliced up and put into scalloped potatoes, or pasta with some veggies..all kinds of dishes! Or cubed (keeping all the chilis & cheese too) with some mayo and onion for a zippy chicken salad sandwich!