Ingredients:

  • 3 lb beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 3 cups cooked long-grain white rice
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup corn, charred or canned
  • 2 ripe avocados, sliced
  • ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Lime wedges for serving

Instructions:

  1. Season the beef chuck roast generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the beef for 4–5 minutes per side until a deep, mahogany-colored crust forms, then transfer the meat to the slow cooker.
  2. In the same skillet, sauté the diced onion and minced garlic for 3 minutes until translucent. Stir in the chopped chipotle peppers, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano, toasting the spices for 60 seconds until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with beef broth and lime juice, scraping up all the brown bits (fond) from the bottom.
  3. Pour the braising liquid over the seared beef in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 8–10 hours or High for 5–6 hours, until the beef offers zero resistance when pierced with a fork.
  4. Remove the beef to a platter and shred using two forks. Skim the fat off the top of the cooking liquid and simmer it in a saucepan for 10 minutes to reduce it by one-third. Pour this concentrated glaze back over the shredded beef.
  5. Divide the cooked rice among six bowls. Top with a generous scoop of shredded chipotle beef, black beans, charred corn, and avocado. Finish with a sprinkle of cotija cheese and fresh cilantro.