Mexican · main

Beef Taquitos with Salsa Roja

Beef Taquitos with Salsa Roja reads umami 7.5, richness 6.6 and citrus 4.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mexican main, about 2 hr 20 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.5 · Richness 6.6 · Citrus 4.2 · Fruity 4.2 · Sourness 4.1 · Smoke 4.0 · Salinity 3.8 · Funk & Ferment 3.7 · Sweetness 3.4 · Heat 3.3 · Allium 3.3 · Herbaceous 2.6 · Floral 2.3 · Earthy 1.9 · Bitterness 1.8 · Warm Spice 1.7 · Nutty 0.6

What's in it (16)

Time & effort: about 2 hr 20 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 246.4 kcal, 10.2 g protein, 8.3 g fat, 35.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (14 steps)

  1. Season the beef chunks all over with the salt and pepper.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven over high heat and sear the beef in a single layer, in batches if needed, until deeply browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes total; transfer to a plate.
  3. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and cook the sliced onion, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden at the edges, 5 to 6 minutes.
  4. Add 3 of the smashed garlic cloves to the pot and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  5. Return the beef and any collected juices to the pot, pour in the broth, and stir in the cumin; bring to a boil.
  6. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and braise until the beef shreds easily with a fork, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
  7. With about 30 minutes of braising time left, char the tomatoes, quartered onion, and remaining 2 garlic cloves in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until blackened in spots on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes.
  8. Transfer the charred vegetables to a blender with the chipotles, adobo sauce, and lime juice; puree until smooth and season with salt to taste. Set the salsa roja aside.
  9. Remove the beef from the pot and shred with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat; toss the shredded beef with 1/4 cup of the braising liquid and season with salt to taste.
  10. Warm the tortillas until pliable: stack them between damp paper towels and microwave in 30-second bursts, or warm briefly on a dry skillet, about 20 seconds per side.
  11. Lay about 2 tablespoons of shredded beef along one edge of each tortilla, roll tightly into a cigar shape, and secure with a toothpick; set seam-side down on a tray.
  12. Heat the frying oil in a heavy skillet to 350 F and fry the taquitos in batches, seam-side down first, turning, until deeply golden and crisp on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per batch.
  13. Drain the taquitos on a wire rack or paper towels and remove the toothpicks.
  14. Serve the taquitos hot, topped with crumbled queso fresco and cilantro, with the salsa roja alongside for dipping.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.