Beef Brisket Machaca Tostadas

🎵 Machaca, maaachacca 🎵, its the story of latin foodie, sorry that was a little Santana parody. Beef brisket makes a perfect candidate for Machaca which only part of this wonderful tostada recipe. If you are not a fan of beef brisket, you can also substitute with a nice chuck roast. By picking either of these cuts of meat, the long slow process allows the beef to really absorb the flavors so that you serve the best tostadas of your life. 

Ingredients 

For the marinade

• ¼ cup of fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced with seeds removed (if you are a wuss like me)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup of olive oil
• 3 lbs. of beef brisket, cut into two pieces

For the Beef Brisket

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 large red bell peppers, diced
• ½ teaspoon of dried oregano
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 – 2 jalapenos, minced (with seeds removed – see wuss note above!)
• One 28-ounce can of fire roasted diced tomatoes with their juice
• ⅔ cup of beef broth

For the tostadas

• 8 corn tortillas
• 2-3 cups of canola oil for frying
• 1/2 a white onion (sliced)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 pound cotija cheese

Directions 

For the marinade

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic and jalapeno.
2. Add a pinch of salt and about 8 grinds of black pepper.
3. Whisk in the olive oil.
4. To a large plastic bag, add the beef brisket.
5. Pour the marinade into a bag over the beef, seal the bag fully, removing all air and squish around for a bit.
6. Let the beef marinate for about 8 hours or overnight in the fridge.

For the Brisket

1. To a large sauté pan (or a stove top safe slow cooker insert), add a touch of olive oil. Let heat over medium high heat.
2. Remove the beef brisket from the marinade, discarding the marinade, and add the beef to the pan.
3. Sear the beef on all sides and remove to a plate to rest for a minute.
4. To the slow cooker, add the diced onions, red bell peppers, garlic, and jalapenos.
5. Stir to combine.
6. Crush the Mexican oregano between your fingers to release the flavor a bit and add to the slow cooker, followed by the fire roasted diced tomatoes.
7. Test for seasoning and add any salt and pepper, if needed
8. Stir everything to combine and nestle in the seared beef brisket and any juices.
9. Pour over the beef broth, making sure it doesn’t come over the top of the beef.
10. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for about 8½ hours.
11. Remove from the slow cooker and let cool on a plate for about 10 minutes until you can shred it with forks.
12. Skim the fat from the sauce and keep the machaca warm until serving.

Tostadas

1. Place the oil into a large pan or dutch oven. Heat the oil on medium heat until it reaches 350° F. Lower each of the tortillas into the oil frying on each side for 2-3 minutes.

2. After removing the tostada from the oil place on a paper towel lined plate.

3. To serve, scoop enough machaca onto each of the tostadas to cover the entire tostada. Garnish with sliced onion, cotija cheese, and a pinch of cilantro.

Recipe source: Cooking In Stilletos (slightly modified)

Photo source: @noleftovers_