Cola Shredded Beef Tacos

This is one of the most blog worthy recipes I've found recently and absolutely delicious! It takes ages to cook, but not so long to prep. I bet it can be adapted to a slow cooker as well.

Time: 4 1/4 hours; Serves 6 (makes 12 tacos)

Ingredients:

3 medium dried ancho chiles
2 large dried guajillo chiles
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried Mexican (whole) oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 4 pieces
1 dried bay leaf
1 can Coca-Cola (not diet)
12 to 24 warm corn tortillas (6-in. size)
Accompaniments: chopped avocado, red onion, and cilantro and regular sour cream

1. Make sauce for beef: Wipe chiles clean with a damp cloth, stem and seed, and tear into pieces. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chiles and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water, the cumin, tomatoes, oregano, and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until chiles are softened, about 10 minutes. Purée sauce in a blender until very smooth.

2. Meanwhile, season beef with the remaining tsp. salt. Heat the remaining tbsp. oil in a 5- to 6-qt. dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown beef, turning occasionally, 10 to 14 minutes. Discard fat, if any.

3. Pour sauce into pot and add bay leaf, coke, and a little water if needed to barely cover meat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until beef is very tender, 3 hours.

4. With a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a plate. Let cool slightly, then tear into shreds, discarding any fat or gristle. Meanwhile, boil sauce over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced to about 3 cups, 10 to 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Stir in beef and heat a few minutes until hot.

Make ahead: Through step 3; chill, covered, up to 2 days.

I found this recipe in Sunset (10/09) where it was adapted from one in the forthcoming Amor y Tacos (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, May 2010).