Prep time: 1 hour plus resting time
Cook time: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Serves 6.
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Ingredients
1 avocado
2 tsp lemon juice
Braised Beef Cheeks
3 tbs olive oil
1 brown onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
500ml beef stock
250ml bbq sauce (we like to use Sweet Baby Rays)
400g can Chipotle peppers in Adobo Sauce
2 tb sherry vinegar
600g beef cheeks, trimmed
Taco shells
300g plain flour
1 tsp fine salt
160ml warm water
2 tbs light olive oil
Lard, to shallow fry
Pico de gallo
1 small red onion, diced finely
Juice of 1 large lime
Pinch salt
4 tomatoes, seeded, cut into 5mm dice
1 Lebanese cucumber, seeded, cut into 5mm dice
½ cup chopped coriander
Cheese sauce
50g butter
4 tbs plain flour
500ml milk
100g smoked cheddar, grated
Method
1. To prepare beef cheeks, heat oil in a flameproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Stir in stock, sauce, chipotle peppers and vinegar. Add beef cheeks. Cover tightly with foil or a lid.
2. Transfer to the oven and braise for about 3 hours or until beef is very tender. Transfer beef to a large plate. Strain braising liquid into a saucepan over high heat. Boil until thickened and reduced to form a sauce.
3. Use two forks to shred meat. Add enough of the reduced sauce to moisten the meat.
4. To make the taco shells, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the water and oil and use your hands to bring the mixture together until a soft dough forms. Turn onto a floured surface and gently knead for 3 minutes or until smooth. Place in a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Set aside for 30 minutes to rest.
5. Preheat oven to 180C.
6. Divide dough into 10 even portions. Roll each portion out on a lightly floured surface into a 20cm disc.
7. Heat lard in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook a tortilla for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden and crisp. While tortilla is still warm, gently bend over the rungs of an oven grill rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
8. Bake for about 5 minutes or until very crisp.
9. To make pico de gallo, combine onion, lime juice and salt in a bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and refrigerate until required.
10. Blend or process avocado and lemon juice until smooth. Season.
11. To make cheese sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour and cook, stirring, until mixture bubbles. Gradually whisk in milk, little by little, to form a sauce. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes. Whisk in cheese until smooth, melted and combined.
12. Spoon beef into tacos and top with pico de gallo. Drizzle with cheese sauce and avocado cream.
