Flank Steak Barbacoa Beef Tacos - An Instant Pot recipe

One afternoon a couple of summers ago, I went to Cafe Rio in Las Vegas for lunch during a training class.  My friend Jessica raved about Cafe Rio. Since it was a quick drive down the street, I decided that it would be the perfect time to see if she was right. 

She was.

I fell in love with the barbacoa beef while I was there. I had never had it before, and I loved the sweetly smokey spice infused into the meat and the sauce. I love spice, no matter what.  This wasn't spicy hot, just spice and flavor. Heavenly.

I wondered how best to duplicate this at home. I have also wondered how to make flank steak tacos that are tender. I love a flank steak, but it can get tough. Imagine a flank steak barbacoa. Even better, imagine a tender flank steak barbacoa.

Ding.. ding... ding... Instant Pot to the rescue. (Use your imagination next time you look at your Instant Pot.  Put a cape on it. Recognize it for the hero it is!)

Now we have a plan, so let's go!

Ingredients

1 3- to 4-pound flank steak, fat trimmed and cut into quarters

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons chile powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

2 tablespoons oil (I recently became an addict of avocado oil because of its high smoke point)

1 teaspoon onion powder

6 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped

5 minced garlic cloves

3 bay leaves

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1 cup low-sodium beef stock

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

First off, trim up the flank steak and get it ready to go into the Instant Pot. Set the pot to saute and add your oil.  Now, carefully (I burnt myself... again... when the oil popped) add the flank steak to the pot and brown on each side.  This could take a few minutes, but don't wander off.  Remove the flank steak and add the beef stock.  Scrape all the yummy, stuck on, browned goodness off of the bottom, and let it cook another one or two minutes.

For the barbacoa sauce, you need a blender.  Well, you don't NEED it, but it helps.  You can whisk or shake this up instead.  A blender just purees that pepper down and gets its goodness infused into everything else.  Pop the remaining ingredients EXCEPT THE BAY LEAVES into the blender and buzz away, or into the bowl, or ... well, you know what you're doing here.

Next, scrape all of this miracle goodness into the pot and stir well. This will already punch you with its amazing smoky aroma.  Yeah, now we're talking.  Add the flank steak. Toss the bay leaves on top and check for any missing ingredients on the counter. This can happen, but if it does, no worries.  Toss them in, too, and stir. Now, put the lid on and set it to sealing.  Next, set the pressure cooker to high pressure for 45 minutes.  Wait.

Ugghhhh, it smells so good.  Still, wait.

Beep

Beep

Beep

Yay! No, more waiting.  Let it naturally release for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, switch to venting and remove the lid.  

Remove the flank steaks and shred or slice thinly.  I recommend shredding because it is that tender. When you try to slice it, it might shred on its own.  In the meantime, return the pot to saute and reduce the liquid, stirring occasionally.

I return the beef to the pot to soak up the juices before serving. This is yours, though. You make your own kitchen magic now :)