Spicy Barbacoa Soft Tacos

Chipotle has ruined my life.

It has ruined it so good because it is pretty much all I live for. I said PRETTY MUCH.

The other day I’d spent an excruciating afternoon trying on new clothes so that I don’t look like an orphan at BlogHer Food in a couple of weeks. I gave the whole stinkin’ ordeal the bird and came home to continue riding the grumpleupagus train when I decided the dinner I had planned sounded like hammered earwax.

So I email Aaron, completely rational and calm, of course:

“I CAN’T DO IT. I JUST CAN.NOT. DO IT. If I have to lift A SINGLE FINGER in the kitchen right now, ah. will. dah. I will. I will RIP my hands off with rusty pliers if I have to cook tonight. I’m completely exhausted and famished and about to pass out and I can’t even take it. I CANNOT TAKE IT.

We have to have Chipotle.

OMG we haaaaaave to have it. If I don’t have 3 chicken tacos with pico, hot salsa, corn salsa, cheeselettuceandguacomole I will wither away to a collection of dust bunnies that you will NEVER get around to cleaning up and then you’ll have to deal with selling the house and caring for Charlie and WAIT. Make that barbacoa. I want barbacoa tacos. I want it so bad that I can’t even think right now and it’s hurting. I’m going blind. I can’t feel my face. Will you PLEAAASESESESESEE pick up Chipotle on your way home pleaaaaaaaaaaassssseeeeeaaaaaaaa. UGH, I’m already starting to shake and I think death is at my door step RIGHT NOW WHAT IS THAT GLOW.”

He replies, “Sounds good.”

Okay, I didn’t want to cheat on the chickens, but I have shed a new skin (sorry?) and seen the light as I’m now a barbacoa mistress and I don’t even care. I’m making tube tops. Plus “barbacoa” really is a sexy word, am I right or what?

This might be sort of close to their version, I don’t know. But it’s mine and it makes me shiver. Beware, there’s a whole can of chipotle peppers in their adobo sauce up in this piece. You know how I like my head to rain.

I barbabeg you, make this with some grilled corn and creamy guacamole and feel your coa collapse.

That’s going on the tube tops!

Spicy Barbacoa Soft Tacos:

What it took for 8ish tacos:

* 2 pounds beef chuck roast (any major fat trimmed)
* 1 (7 oz) can chipotle peppers in their adobo sauce
* 1 Tbs. cumin
* 1 Tbs. chili powder
* 1 tsp onion powder
* 1 tsp garlic powder
* 1 Tbs. Mexican oregano
* 8 spinach flour tortillas (or whatever you want!)
* 1 cup fresh salsa
* 2 ears corn
* 1 tsp butter
* 1 tsp garlic salt
* 2 avocados
* 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
* juice from 1/2 lime
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the beef, chipotle peppers in their adobo sauce, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder and Mexican oregano into a slow cooker. Throw in a pinch of salt and pepper too. Turn it on medium and cook for 6 hours. Flip the meat every 2 hours or so. During the last hour, take two forks and shred the meat, right there in the pot. Close the lid and let it finish cooking. You have NO IDEA how good your life smells right now.

Heat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium high. Smear the butter over the corn and sprinkle with garlic salt. Grill until the corn has blistered on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from grill and cut the kernels off the cobs.

Mash the two avocados in a bowl. Toss in the cilantro, lime juice, another pinch of salt and mash mash mash. Gauc, there you go.

Heat the tortillas in the oven or microwave.

Arrange some of the amaaaazing spicy barbacoa in the center of each tortilla. Top with guacamole, salsa and grilled corn. Garnish with cilantro and another squeeze of lime and seriously.

Oh, hi.