Well what can you say about Mexican Food, personally I like it spicy and I have learned that spicy food has some hidden benefits.  Spicy foods are a bit of a mystery. As an article in the New York Times wondered: “Why is it that we find such pleasure in pain? I mean, these hot sauce bottles are plastered with words like “death” and “atomic”… and we like them. “Apparently Spicy food has all kinds of good stuff for you, it can aid in weight loss, heart health, cancer prevention, lower blood pressure and fewer “blow your top moments”. Spicy foods boost production of feel-good hormones, such as serotonin. So they may help ease depression and stress. That is enough for me to continue eating on the spicy side. =)

I started this meal last night in the crock pot, I cooked it on low starting around 11 or so.  When my daughter came home from school at three I had her put it on warm. I wanted to have the meat still in one piece but would be able to pull it apart easily when the time came to throw it all together.  You can also start it in the morning on low and cook for 6 to 8 hours rather than cooking all night. I prefer cooking in the crock pot on a lower setting for longer periods of time; I believe that it allows the broth and spices to really seep into the meat making it ever so moist and tender.  Either way you cook it I am sure it will come out superbly.

You will need the following It will make 6 healthy size tortillas.

2 lbs chuck roast

7oz chipotles in adobo sauce (a lot of people find these pretty spicy so adjust accordingly)

1/2 cup honey

2 cup beef broth

10 flour, wheat or corn tortillas

3 cups fresh salsa (recipe follows)

Shredded Mexican cheese

Shredded lettuce

Tortilla chips

Combine the first four ingredients in a slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the meat is fork tender.

Remove the meat and shred it removing all of the fat.

Spoon the meat on to the tortillas, top with cheese, salsa and lettuce, and serve with a bit of the salsa and chips.

Salsa

2 large beefsteak tomatoes

1 med red onion

1 bunch of cilantro

1 jalapeño pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

I used a bullet to chop all of the ingredients.  Cut up the onion and process it with a food processor, or if you don’t have one just make an effort to chop it up into small pieces. Do the same for the tomatoes, jalapeño and cilantro. Combine all of them into a bowl add salt and pepper and let it set for a bit so the flavors can meld together.

I really like the way the salsa came out and will more than likely make this again rather than buying it from the store.

If you want it spicier you can take the chipotle peppers from the crock pot and chop them up and add to the meat, I opted not to do that as it had a nice zesty tang already.

I hope you enjoy the recipe, as always your feedback is welcome.

Bon appétit

LauraLovingLife

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