Slow Cooker Barbacoa

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1-1/2 teaspoons pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 to 4 pounds)
• 3 bay leaves
• RICE:
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• Optional: sliced radishes, fresh cilantro leaves and lime wedges

Directions

• Place the first 9 ingredients in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Add broth; pulse to combine.
• Place roast and bay leaves in a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker; pour sauce over top. Cook, covered, on low until meat is tender, 7-9 hours.
• Prepare rice about 30 minutes before serving. In a large saucepan, combine water, rice, butter and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat; gently stir in cilantro and lime juice.
• Remove roast from slow cooker; cool slightly. Discard bay leaves and skim fat from cooking juices. Shred beef with 2 forks; return to slow cooker. Serve with rice and, if desired, radishes, cilantro and limes.

Horchata

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 2 cups blanched almonds
• 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• 4 cups hot water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup cold water
• Ground cinnamon, optional
• Lime slices, optional

Directions

• Place rice in a blender; cover and process 2-3 minutes or until very fine. Transfer to a large bowl; add almonds, cinnamon stick, lime zest and hot water. Let stand, covered, at room temperature 8 hours.
• Discard cinnamon stick. Transfer rice mixture to a blender; cover and process 3-4 minutes or until smooth. Add sugar; process until sugar is dissolved.
• Place a strainer over a pitcher; line with double-layered cheesecloth. Pour rice mixture over cheesecloth; using a ladle, press mixture through strainer.
• Stir in cold water. Serve over ice. If desired, sprinkle with cinnamon and serve with lime and additional cinnamon sticks.

Ingredients

• 2 bone-in chicken breast halves
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ¼ white onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 pound fresh tomatillos, husks removed
• 5 serrano peppers
• ¼ white onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 pinch salt

• 12 corn tortillas

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup crumbled queso fresco
• ½ white onion, chopped
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

• In a saucepan, combine chicken breast with chicken broth, one quarter onion, a clove of garlic, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, and then boil for 20 minutes. Reserve broth, set chicken aside to cool, and discard onion and garlic. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken with your hands.

• Place tomatillos and serrano chiles in a pot with water, enough to cover them. Bring to boil, and continue boiling until tomatillos turn a different shade of green (from bright green to a dull, army green). Strain tomatillos and chiles, and place in a blender with another quarter piece of onion, 1 clove garlic, and a pinch of salt. Pour in reserved chicken broth, so that liquid just covers the veggies in the blender by about an inch. Blend all ingredients until they are completely pureed. Pour salsa in a medium saucepan, and bring to a low boil.

• Pour oil in a frying pan, and allow to get very hot. Slightly fry tortillas one by one in hot oil, setting each on a paper towel afterwards to soak some of the oil. Finally, dip slightly fried tortillas in low-boiling green salsa, until tortillas become soft again. Place on plates, 3 per person.

• Fill or top tortillas with shredded chicken, then extra green sauce. Top with crumbled cheese, chopped onion, and chopped cilantro.