Barbacoa Quesadilla with Crispy Griddled Tortillas

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Chipotle-braised chuck roast, shredded and drained hard so it never waterlogs the tortilla, folded into melted Monterey Jack and Oaxaca cheese and griddled until the outside shatters. Same fast-casual comfort as the $13 counter version, but the beef tastes like it braised all afternoon — because it did.

Ingredients

• 2 lb boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo, plus 2 tbsp of the sauce
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican if available)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.5 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

• 4 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
• 8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 4 oz Oaxaca or low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup tomato salsa or salsa verde
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Pat the chuck chunks very dry and season all over with the kosher salt and black pepper. Let them sit at room temperature while you heat the pot.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high until it just shimmers. Sear the beef in two batches, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Crowding steams the meat, so give each piece space. Transfer to a plate.
3. Lower the heat to medium and add the onion to the pot. Cook 4 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. Stir in the chipotles and adobo sauce, vinegar, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant, then pour in the beef broth and bring to a simmer.
5. Return the beef and any juices to the pot. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning the meat once an hour, until it shreds with almost no pressure from a fork. (Pressure cooker: 50 minutes on high, then natural release for 15 minutes.)
6. Lift the beef out with a slotted spoon into a bowl, leaving the liquid behind. Discard the bay leaves. Shred the meat with two forks, pulling out any hard fat.
7. This is the step that makes or breaks the quesadilla: transfer the shredded beef to a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and press gently with the back of a spoon for 2 to 3 minutes to drive out the braising liquid. You want the meat glossy and moist, not swimming. Return it to a bowl and toss with the lime juice and 3 to 4 tablespoons of the strained liquid — no more. Taste and add salt if needed. Reserve the rest of the liquid for another use.
8. Wipe out a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet and set it over medium heat. Butter one side of a tortilla very lightly and lay it butter-side down in the dry pan.
9. Scatter about 1/2 cup mixed cheese over the whole tortilla, let it start to melt for 30 seconds, then spread 1/2 cup of the drained beef over one half only and top with another 1/4 cup cheese. The cheese-under-and-over sandwich keeps the beef from touching the tortilla directly.
10. Fold the bare half over and press flat with a spatula. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side over medium heat until the tortilla is blistered, deep golden, and audibly crisp when tapped, and the cheese has fully melted. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, wiping the skillet between batches.
11. Let each quesadilla rest on a cutting board for 1 minute (this sets the cheese so it doesn't slide out), then cut into 3 wedges. Serve with sour cream, salsa, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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