Pot Roast Tacos with Lime Crema

Apologies to all of my other taco recipes. You’ve been forgotten. We are officially breaking up. I’ve found THE ONE…and now I just don’t want any other taco. The truth hurts. But, it’s also delicious. I’ve made these pot roast tacos with lime crema twice in two weeks because they are just that good. Also, I needed that second time around to confirm that my memory of their yumminess was not clouded by me being really, really hungry. And the good news is…batch two confirmed all these initial warm, happy, tasty feelings. They ARE amazing.

Full disclosure, I’m pretty partial to pot roast in general. Growing up, my grandmother regularly hosted Sunday dinner with the whole family, and it’s hard to remember her serving anything other than pot roast. She was an amazing cook (as so many grandmothers seem to be) and I have the best memories of overeating her pot roast, gravy and mashed potatoes, and partaking in one of two post-dinner activities—a family walk or a nap on her front porch. Both were good options.

Partialness aside, fall-apart, tender pot roast makes for the best taco filler. The meat, simmered for 4 hours in water seasoned with chilli powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder and a couple garlic cloves for good measure, is full of flavour. It’s also as simple as can be to prepare (more on that below).

With the meat already so flavour-packed, fresh, simple fixings pair perfectly. Cabbage, cilantro, red onion, and crumbled feta. That’s it. Prepare them in advance and give yourself a high-five. Now, on to what brings it all together — THE most tasty dressing, lime crema. Avocado, limes, mayo, sour cream and salt and pepper. Throw all in a blender, and voila, pot roast taco dressing perfection.

Below: All the stages to go from your basic bottomless blade roast (or sirloin roast) to glorious fall-apart pot roast.

Sure, a good pot roast takes time, but most importantly, it takes very little effort. The time that it does take is hands-off, which means once the meat and seasoning are in the pot, you’re free to get back to life.

Or to prepare the lime crema. But good news, lime crema takes no more than 5 minutes, I promise, and all the hard work is done by a blender or food processor.

A few tips:

Some limes are juicier than others. Taste after the first blending and add additional lime juice if the flavour isn’t quite there. I needed two and half limes (they were puny and hard) when I first made this recipe, and only 2 limes this time around.

Add water to reach that perfect easy-to-pour-but-still-very-creamy consistency. Start by adding 1/8 of a cup. You won’t need more than a 1/4 cup. How much water is needed also depends on the juiciness of your limes and if you added extra.

Pot Roast Tacos with Lime Crema

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

Pot Roast Tacos

• 3 lbs bottomless blade roast*-- I used two 1.5 lbs roasts *also called top sirloin steak, blade steak, or chuck steak
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 garlic cloves
• 18 or more corn tortillas to serve 4-6 adults - 3-4 tacos each
• 1 small red onion roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups red cabbage thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves washed, stems removed

Lime Crema

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 limes
• 1/4 cup cold water add less or more to thin out as desired
• zest from 1 lime
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

 

Pot Roast Tacos

• In a large stovetop pot, add water to the halfway mark and bring to a boil. Add in salt, spices, garlic cloves and the roasts. Cover and let boil for a minimum of 3 and half hours. Aim to cook for a good 4 hours. The meat becomes more tender the longer it is cooked. You'll know the meat is ready when it falls apart easily in the pot with tongs. Drain meat into a large colander and let cool for a few minutes (until easily handled). Using your hands, remove any remaining fat or bone (there won't be much), break apart into small pieces and place in a serving bowl. This will require little effort—the pot roast should easily fall apart. Note: roasts should always be fully immersed in boiling water. Check on the roasts every hour or so and add water as necessary to cover.
• While the pot roast is cooking, prepare lime crema (see below) and taco fixings (chop onion, wash cilantro leaves, slice cabbage, crumble feta). Place in pretty serving bowls and set aside.
• To serve, warm up corn tortillas over medium heat in a large dry stovetop pan for a minute or two on each side. Alternatively, wrap a stack of tortillas in aluminum foil and heat in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately with shredded pot roast and fixings. Enjoy!

Lime Crema

• In a blender or food processor, combine avocado, mayo, sour cream, lime juice, zest, water and salt and pepper until smooth and creamy. *Add just enough water until your desired consistency is reached.

Notes

This recipe is easily adaptable. Dinner for two? You'll be more than fine with one 1.5 pound blade roast instead of two:) Cut down fixings accordingly.

Not sure which cut of meat to buy? Ask your butcher. I was confused by cuts labelled differently at different grocery stores, and when I asked the butcher, he confirmed that pot roast, or blade roast goes by a bunch of names, but in the end it's all the same.

Leftover fixings and lime crema? Lucky you. Toss them together for tomorrow's lunch. They make a colorful, healthy and delicious salad.

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