Thursday, May 08, 2008

Roasted Lime-Cilantro Eye of Round Roast Tacos



8 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
1 Tbsp. coarse-grain salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 (4.5-pound) eye of round roast

Corn or flour tortillas, warmed

Garnishes:

Diced fresh tomatoes
Shredded cheddar and/or Jack cheese
Sour cream
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole
Cilantro

Process the first 8 ingredients in a food processor until a thick paste forms, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl.


Make 3 to 4 (1-inch) cuts in each side of roast with a sharp knife. Fill each cut with about 1 teaspoon of paste. Spread remaining paste over beef. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap; chill at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Unwrap roast; place in a 13-x 9-inch pan.


Bake, covered, at 325° for 3 hours and 15 minutes or until meat shreds and a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 180°. (Meat will not shred below this temperature.) Let stand 10 minutes before shredding or chopping.

Serve with warm tortillas, tomatoes, cheese, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.

Makes 12 servings

Notes:

I only used half the amount of beef (and the full amount of ingredients for the paste) and it still made plenty of meat for several meals (for two adults). I didn't include the garlic, so rather than a paste, I wound up with a marinade. I simply placed the meat in a large Ziploc bag, added the marinade and let it sit in the refrigerator over night, turning occasionally.

I also didn't bother with the 1-inch cuts in the roast.


I didn't have coriander seeds or cumin seeds, so I used 2 teaspoons of dried ground coriander and cumin. I probably could have even gone with a full tablespoon of each.

Instead of roasting the meat in the oven, I used my crock pot, cooking it for 8 hours on the low setting. It turned out great!

This is a nice alternative to my pork carnitas.
Delicious for tacos, enchiladas, or mixed with scrambled eggs (Machaca Con Huevos).

Adapted from Southern Living magazine (April 2004)

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:41 AM

    Oh that sounds fantastic. I'll have to try this one sometime. And I'd go your route and use the crockpot. It seems like the perfect type of recipe for a crockpot.

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  2. I have a nice eye of round in the freezer right now, and I can see what a perfect use for it this recipe is! Last time I roasted it in the oven with an herb crust, and then put the leftovers in the crock pot for Italian beef sandwiches. This time, I'm trying these! YUM!

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  3. Sassymonkey - Yah, there's nothing like a big hunk of meat simmering away all day in a crock pot. I cut the meat into large chunks and then shredded it a little bit. It was so tender and flavorful. Enjoy! Oh, and note that I made a change in my notes. I used half the amount of beef, but the full amount of "marinade."

    Bellezza - Oooh, what kind of an herb crust? I may have to get that recipe from you! Coincidentally, Rod took some of the leftover meat from this recipe and added some KC BBQ sauce and made a BBQ beef sandwich. Said it was delicious!

    Note the change in the recipe, as mentioned above to Sassy. Half the meat, but all the marinade.

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  4. Anonymous9:27 AM

    This sounds like the perfect lunch :).

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