Taqueria-Style Shredded Beef

Heat a skillet to medium heat and add the dried chiles. Toast for a minute or so until they become fragrant. Don’t let them burn. Transfer to a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Add another bowl on top of the chiles to keep them submerged. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes, up to a few hours.

Drain chiles (reserving the liquid), remove stems and most of the seeds, and place them in the blender with the remaining ingredients (except the beef and oil). Blend until smooth. Add some of the chile-soaking liquid if necessary. Set aside.

Unwrap your beef and do whatever you need to do to get it ready for the pan (trimming off excess fat, etc.)

Heat a cast-iron or stainless steel skillet with 2-3 tablespoons of heat-safe oil (like coconut or grapeseed) over high heat. The oil should be shimmering and there should be very faint wisps of smoke. Place the beef in the skillet (you should hear some crazy sizzling or your pan isn’t hot enough) and let it sit there for a minute or two. Turn the meat to sear on all sides. It should be crusty brown in spots.

Transfer seared meat to a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour blended sauce over top. Cover and cook on low for at least 8 hours.

When the meat is tender, remove roast from the cooker and shred the meat using two forks or your favorite method. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Strain the liquid from the cooker through a sieve into a bowl, discarding all the slimy stuff. Set liquid aside to cool.

When the meat and sauce are both cooled off, cover and chill. You can use the meat right away if you like, but the sauce needs time to cool so you can remove the fat from the top. It’s lots easier that way. (And you end up with the best enchilada sauce on the planet!)

If you want to serve the meat and sauce together, put some meat in a skillet with a few spoonfuls of sauce and cook until the meat has softened and everything is all saucy and happy.