Chipotle Carne Asada

The title of this recipe sounds more complicated than it actually is. You throw a few ingredients into the crockpot and end up with a great filling for tacos or burritos. Bonus: it smelled so good all day while it was cooking! I overdid the chiles a little bit and it was too spicy for big sister but I thought it was great.

If your family doesn't like spicy, make sure the salsa you use is mild and maybe start with 1 tablespoon of the chiles. Here are some ideas for the leftover chipotle chiles: Stir a little into sour cream or plain Greek yogurt and use the dip for chips, nachos, or veggies. Stir a little into Caesar dressing for a "Mexican Caesar Salad" or stir a little into Ranch dressing to make taco salad.

The cooking time will vary depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks and the cut of meat you use. If it doesn't fall apart or shred easily after 6 hours, let it cook a little longer. I haven't tried a shorter time on high heat with this recipe yet. We made soft tacos with corn tortillas, onion, avocado, and shredded cheese. They'd make great filling for beef enchilladas, burritos, or hard tacos.

Chipotle Carne Asada (4-6 servings)

2 lbs lean beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch chunks
3/4 c. mild salsa
2 T chopped chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce
1 c. beef stock (or water or beer)
salt and pepper, if desired.

Combine all ingredients in a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 -8 hours. Use a fork to shred up the meat a little bit and use a slotted spoon to serve.