The Traveling Epicurean

CT Style’s National Taco Day with Ryan & Teresa!

These special people (in the photo to the left) are the heart beat of the “CT Style” show here at WTNH Channel 8 in New Haven, CT. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this amazing family, 2 1/2 years running! There’s always lots of excitement in the studio shooting the live CT Style show and this time around we also had a birthday celebration afterwards for our wonderful producer, Joyce Ogirri!

When Ryan sent an email giving me the heads up about National Taco day my Pulled Beef Taco recipe came to mind! This dish originated from my dear Carmel Valley friend, Christine, about 15 years ago and I’ve been making this ever since. I love the simplicity of this recipe and the gourmet taste you end up with. The flavors are similar to Boeuf Bourguignon!

This Pulled Beef Taco recipe is made with a 3 1/2 lb. chuck roast, 3/4’s of a bottle of red wine and a whole bottle of Trader Joe’s Autentica Red Salsa and that’s it! You cut the roast into 6 pieces, sear it off in a large pan with olive oil, add in the red wine and salsa, then braise it in the oven uncovered for 2 1/2 hours. The base gravy that results from these ingredients is out of this world. Serving the pulled beef with my black bean salsa makes for the perfect pair. This is a great recipe for football season get togethers too because it’s a total make ahead dish allowing you to spend more time with friends and family insead of being stuck in the kitchen. The meat and gravy get even more delicious when you re-heat it so it’s a win win no matter how you look at it!

You may want to add some desserts to all this goodness like Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake, Death By Chocolate Meringue PieDrunk Blondie Bars, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies or Pavlova with Fresh Berries.