Shredded Beef and Sweet Potato Stuffed Chiles

So these stuffed chiles aren't the most visually stunning food but they are SO UNBELIEVABLY DELICIOUS. Seriously, I need to use all caps for how good this dish was. We had friends over for dinner and I wanted to re-create a recipe I had at my favorite Boise restaurant called Barbacoa. I loved the dish so much the last time I was there, I asked the waiter to grab the chef. He came out to our table and explained how he makes them. I didn't write down the recipe because I thought it would be rude so this recipe is based off my memory of the dish. I cooked some lean beef (chuck would probably be tastier and more tender but I am trying to eat healthy) in beef broth along with seasonings, garlic and loads of chiles for a few hours. I then drained some of the liquid from the beef and boiled it for a few minutes to reduce it to a very flavorful sauce. I sauteed the sweet potato until it was nice and tender and then I roasted the chiles and removed the charred skin. I stuffed the chiles with a bit of shredded beef and sweet potato then drizzled it with the sauce. I topped it with cotija cheese and served. I love the combination of flavors and textures in this dish. The chile was a bit spicy along with the tender beef, the potato was soft and sweet, and the cotija cheese was salty. We all LOVED this dish and couldn't stop talking about how good it was. I highly recommend this recipe to anyone who loves Mexican food. It's my new favorite dish.

Shredded Beef and Sweet Potato Stuffed Chiles:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking

Adapted from Stuffed Chiles at Barbacoa Restaurant, Boise, Idaho

• 1 1/2 - 2lbs lean round (use chuck for more flavor and extra tender meat)
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• Dried cumin, to taste
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1-2 Anaheim chiles, seeded and deveined, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and deveined, diced
• 1 can of fire roasted green chiles, chopped
• 7-8 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2-3 cups of beef broth

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Chop all the chiles, garlic and cilantro. Season the beef, on both sides, with the seasonings, to taste. Heat the olive oil in a small Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add seasoned beef and sear on all sides. Add the garlic, chiles and cilantro along with the beef broth.

Cover with lid and place in the oven. Cook for 3-4 hours or until the beef shreds easily. Once the beef is done, drain a bit of the liquid from the pan through a strainer. Place in a small saucepan and boil for a few minutes to reduce the liquid into a sauce. Shred the beef in the remaining liquid and set aside.

Other Ingredients:

• 6 pasilla chiles
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced into small cubes
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Cotija cheese, finely grated

Add the diced sweet potato to a large saucepan of boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes then drain. Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium heat, add the sweet potatoes when it's hot and sauté for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

While the potato is cooking, heat the oven to broil. Clean the pasilla chiles and carefully slit them down the center (be careful not to go all the way through the chile). Gently remove the seeds from the inside of the chile. Line a baking sheet with tin foil then place the chiles on top.

Broil for a few minutes until you hear popping and see the chiles getting BLACK, turn them over and do the same to the other side. Remove from the oven and place the chiles in a zip lock back and seal. Let them sit for 5-7 minutes then remove from bag and VERY CAREFULLY remove the charred skin.

Stuff the chile with a bit of shredded beef and some sweet potato then drizzle them with the reduced sauce. Top with cotija cheese and serve. Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net