Debbie's Mexican Shredded Beef (Carnitas)



5 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast
1/4 cup bottled salsa, mild or hot whatever your preference.
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
16 ounces canned stewed tomatoes
salt, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Trim excess fat from roast. Mix together salsa, garlic, chili powder, oregano, and cumin to make a paste. Spread on roast.
2. Wrap roast in a large piece of aluminum foil, folding edges to seal tightly. Place in roasting pan, with seam of aluminum foil up. Bake until meat is so tender that it will shred easily, 4 to 4-1/2 hours. Unwrap meat; discard fat and bones. Skim fat from drippings and reserve drippings. When roast is cool enough to handle, shred meat.
3. Transfer meat and drippings to a large pan. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, breaking them up into small bits. Heat through. Season with salt; adjust flavors to taste, adding more salsa and seasonings if desired.
4. For tacos, just heat some oil in a pan, slip in a corn tortilla, place a spoonful of meat on one side of the tortilla and fold the other half over, let it fry for a minute and then turn it over and fry the other side. Drain on paper towels. Add shredded cheese, lettuce and sour cream if you like. Enjoy!

Crockpot Method: Prepare beef and seasonings the same way and place in a Crockpot, cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours and then on low for 2-3 hours or until the meat is literally falling apart.

Yield: 6 portions