Braised Mexican Beef

Moist and tender beef is braised in a rich and sweet tomato-based sauce with onion, garlic, chipotle in adobo sauce, and brown sugar. The secret to absolutely delicious Braised Mexican Beef is allowing the meat to cook for hours in a pot with a heavy lid. Braising cannot be rushed and patience is greatly rewarded with just one bite!

📝 Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds beef, ((chuck, brisket, or flank - cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes))
• 1 medium onion, (diced)
• 3 cloves garlic, (minced)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, (minced)
• 2 cups canned diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup water

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Pat the cubed beef dry with paper towels and season each side with salt and pepper.
2. 2Over medium-high heat, add the olive oil to your Dutch oven and place the beef into the pot. Sear for about two minutes per side. The beef will not be cooked all the way through, so don’t worry about that. Just get the outside nice and brown without burning. Once done, remove the meat from the pot and set it aside.
3. 3Next, add the onion to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onion is just translucent.
4. 4Add the garlic, salt, ground black pepper, cumin, and chipotle peppers. Stir well and cook for another 2 minutes.
5. 5Next, add the water, canned diced tomatoes with juice, and brown sugar. Stir to combine.
6. 6Use tongs to add the seared beef pieces back into the pot. Be sure to nestle them into the sauce so that they are touching the bottom of the pot. The sauce should be rising up the sides of the meat.
7. 7Place a lid on the pot and reduce the heat to simmer. Simmer for 2 hours, checking every 30 minutes to see if the liquid has not evaporated too much. The sauce will reduce and thicken, but should never be lower than an inch in the pot. If the liquid evaporates too much, add enough water to bring it up to the one-inch level. Once done, the beef will be very tender.