Ingredients
2 kg (4 lb) beef cheeks or chuck beef
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil (for searing)
4 bay leaves
4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
¾ cup dark ale (or low-sodium beef broth)
½ cup apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp lime juice
6 garlic cloves
4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp oregano
½ tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Cut beef into 12–15 chunks and season with salt and pepper.
- Sear beef in batches in a hot skillet with oil until browned on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker.
- Blend chipotle chiles, dark ale, vinegar, lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, and cloves until smooth to make the sauce.
- Pour sauce over beef in slow cooker and add bay leaves. Submerge meat as much as possible.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or until beef is fork-tender.
- Remove beef, shred with forks, then return to slow cooker with 3–4 ladles of sauce.
- Toss to coat and serve hot in tacos, burritos, bowls, or sliders.
Notes
- Use beef broth instead of ale for a non-alcoholic version.
- Adjust chipotles for desired spice level.
- Skip searing for convenience—flavor will still be great.
- Freeze leftovers in portions with sauce for easy future meals.
- For crispy bits, broil shredded beef briefly before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Halal
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 recipe (approx. 200g)
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 540mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
