NOTE: This picture is NOT from my kitchen - I’ll update next time I make the recipe. ;)
Tex-Mex Shredded Beef and Master Stock
I’ve had a few requests for this recipe when clients have come into the house and smelled it cooking, so here it is!
The beef is poached in a flavourful stock until fork-tender, and then shredded for use in whatever dish you like - tacos or taco salad, burritos, nachos…it works well for all of them. It’s really simple to prepare, and can be ready in about an hour using an Instant Pot or similar pressure cooker (though I also provide instructions for a method where you use the oven to finish the cooking, and that can easily be adapted for use in a slow cooker).
The secret to the outstanding flavour is to make it repeatedly using the same master stock.
This is a technique that actually originates in Chinese cuisine, but is now very widely used all over. The more times the master stock is used, the more intense the flavour becomes, and the more flavour it imparts to the beef. I have been using the same master stock for years now, and the beef is unfailingly delicious!
Note that the recipe below has sections for “First-Time” and for “Re-Use”, as the re-use instructions are slightly different.
I’ll add some photos (aside from the stock photo used above, which actually looks more like carne asada rather than shredded beef) to this recipe the next time I make a batch, and will also post up my other master stock based recipes (E.G. for chicken and pork) I make in the next little while. ;)
First-Time Ingredients
1.5 kg / 3 lb. lean beef roast (sirloin tip is best, but inside round or outside round also work well)
1 medium onion
1 whole lime
1 TBSP sea salt
1-1/2 TBSP ground cumin
1-1/2 TBSP dried oregano
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 6 cloves of peeled fresh garlic)
3/4 tsp ground cayenne
2 bay leaves
Liquid to cover (I’ve used water, low sodium beef stock / broth or beer, or a combination of those)
First-Time Method
For Instant Pot:
Cut the lime into quarters
Peel the onion and cut it into quarters
Cross-cut the beef roast into slabs as thick as you want your beef shreds long. Generally, I find about 5 cm / 2 inches to work well. To make the pieces easier to fit into your cooking vessel, you can cut larger slabs in half, but they should be no smaller in any dimension than they are thick.
For the best flavour, combine the beef with the salt, spices, and herbs (aside from the bay leaf) in a mixing bowl (or your pressure cooker pot), mixing to thoroughly coat each piece, and then let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking. This can be done as much as a day in advance, but isn’t strictly necessary.
Add the onion, beef, garlic cloves (if applicable) and seasoning to the pot. Squeeze the lime quarters over the mixture, and drop them in too. Mix well.
Add just enough of your chosen liquid to cover the beef and add the bay leaves.
Seal the Instant Pot, and set to pressure cook on high for 45 minutes.
When done, allow pressure to naturally release for at least 15 minutes, then release any additional pressure manually. I usually prep and start this a couple of hours before I’m planning to use it, so it has usually fully naturally released by the time I get back to it.
See “Serving The Beef and Saving the Master Stock” below for what to do next…
For Oven:
If using the oven, pre-heat to 375 degrees.
In an oven-safe stock pot or Dutch oven, bring 3L of your chosen liquid to a boil, then add the onion, beef, garlic cloves (if applicable), seasonings and bay leaves to the pot. Squeeze the lime quarters over the mixture, and drop them in too. Mix well.
Bring back to a boil, then cover and transfer to the oven to finish cooking. Cook for 90 minutes or until the beef pieces are fork-tender.
See “Serving The Beef and Saving the Master Stock” below for what to do next…
Serving The Beef and Saving the Master Stock
Remove the beef pieces to a large serving dish or bowl, and pull into shreds using two large forks. I usually add about a cup of the cooking liquid to the dish with the shredded beef to keep it moist. Cover and keep warm until service, or refrigerate immediately.
Strain the cooking liquid (now your “master stock”) through a fine mesh strainer into a container and refrigerate until completely chilled.
Skim off any fat layer that has formed on top, then transfer to a large Ziploc freezer bag or other vessel to freeze. A large Ziploc freezer bag holds about 4 quarts or 3.78L – that’s how much I usually reserve for future use, and I just discard any extra.
Re-Use Ingredients
1.5 kg / 3 lb. lean beef roast (sirloin tip is best, but inside round or outside round also work well)
1 TBSP sea salt
2 bay leaves
Thawed, reserved master stock
Additional liquid to cover (if needed)
Optional:
1 medium onion
1 whole lime
1/2 TBSP ground cumin
1/2 TBSP dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 6 cloves of peeled fresh garlic)
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
IMPORTANT Re-Use Notes:
Always thaw the cooking liquid in the fridge for at least 24 hours before using. If it’s still partially frozen when you start the cooking process, that’s fine – it will melt and come to a boil while cooking. You basically just don’t want to have to deal with a big block of frozen beef juice…LOL.
For the first few uses at least, I would definitely add the onion, lime, garlic, spices and dried oregano listed as optional above to build a more intense flavour in your master stock more quickly. Note that the quantities of the spices and oregano are 1/3 the amount from the “First-Time” recipe.
These days, I would say I add the optional ingredients once every 2 or 3 times I make this, or if I notice that a batch’s flavour was a bit flat, I’ll make note to add them the next time. You absolutely can add them every single time if you prefer, and if you find the flavour is getting too intense, add a bit of water to dilute it.
Re-Use Method
For Instant Pot:
Cut the beef as in the original recipe, then add it along with the salt, bay leaves, and thawed master stock (and optionally, the onion, lime, garlic, spices and oregano) to the pot and mix well.
If necessary, add additional liquid to cover the beef, then seal the Instant Pot and pressure cook on high for 45 minutes.
When done, allow pressure to naturally release for at least 15 minutes, then release any additional pressure manually.
Follow the original instructions to shred and serve the beef and to reserve the master stock.
For Oven:
Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Bring your thawed master stock to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
While it’s simmering, cut the beef as in the original recipe, then add it along with the salt and bay leaves (and optionally, the onion, lime, garlic, spices and oregano) to the pot and mix well.
Bring back to a boil, then cover and transfer to the oven to finish cooking. Cook for 90 minutes or until the beef pieces are fork-tender.
Follow the original instructions to shred and serve the beef and to reserve the master stock.
Nutritional Info
For the Entire Recipe:
Calories: ~2,225 kcal
Protein: ~332 g (1,328 kcal, 60% of total calories)
Fat: ~86 g (774 kcal, 35% of total calories)
Total Carbohydrates: ~8 g
Fiber: ~4 g
Net Carbohydrates: ~4 g (16 kcal, <1% of total calories)
Per Serving (8 servings, ~4.5 oz cooked beef per serving):
Calories: ~278 kcal
Protein: ~41.5 g (166 kcal, 60% of total calories)
Palm-Size Portions: ~1.5 to 2 palms (1 palm ≈ 20–30 g protein)
Fat: ~10.75 g (96.8 kcal, 35% of total calories)
Thumb-Size Portions: ~1 thumb (1 thumb ≈ 10–15 g fat)
Total Carbohydrates: ~1 g
Fiber: ~0.5 g
Percentage of Recommended Daily Intake:
Women under 50: ~1.8–2%
Men under 50: ~1.5–1.6%
Women over 50: ~2.3%
Men over 50: ~1.8%
Net Carbohydrates: ~0.5 g (2 kcal, <1% of total calories)
Cupped-Palm Portions: ~0 palms (1 palm ≈ 20–30 g net carbs)
This nutritional analysis is an estimate only, based on available knowledge regarding the nutritional content of the individual ingredients. Nutritional content of foods is HIGHLY variable, so you should always base your dietary intake on whether it meets your needs and progresses you toward your goals rather than any theoretical numbers on paper.
Notes And Options
If you use a slow-cooker or crock pot, be sure to follow the instructions for the oven method for both First Time or Re-Use, up until the “transfer to the oven to finish cooking step”. From there, use your slow-cooker. Let me know how it goes, what kind of settings you used, and how long you cooked it for! I don’t have / use one, so I’m useless there…LOL.