10-Minute Birria-Style Tacos from Leftover Pot Roast
Day one is pot roast. Day two is better.
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The best meal you cook this week might be the one you don't really cook at all.
This is the leftover makeover. The idea is simple: one pot roast, made on a Sunday or a slow weekday, becomes two or three completely different meals over the next few days. The roast is the first meal. The shredded beef tacos are the second. And they are, without question, the better of the two.
I started with a chipotle pot roast and reserved everything. The meat, obviously. But also the braising liquid, which by the next morning has done something useful in the fridge: the fat has risen and hardened on top, separating cleanly from the liquid below. Skim it off and save both separately. You're going to need them.
That fat is the secret to this whole thing. Pot roast fat is already seasoned, already flavored, already carrying the memory of everything the roast cooked in. Frying cheese and tortillas in it rather than butter or neutral oil is the difference between a good taco and one you talk about later.
Here's how it goes. Heat a griddle or large pan to medium. Melt the reserved fat. Put the cheese directly on the pan into the fat, then lay the tortilla on top of the cheese so they fuse together as it melts. Before the tortilla goes down, dip it in the warmed braising liquid first. This is the move. The tortilla absorbs the gravy and fries simultaneously, going golden and lacquered and crispy in a way that a dry tortilla never does.
Flour or corn tortilla is your call. Traditionally corn. I use flour. Both work and neither choice is wrong enough to argue about.
If you made a standard pot roast without much spice, add chili powder and smoked paprika to the braising liquid when you heat it up. It takes thirty seconds and gives the gravy the depth it needs to pull this in the right direction.
Once the cheese has melted and browned on the bottom, about five minutes, add the shredded beef on top of the tortilla and fold it over. It should be golden, crispy, and holding together. Serve with a small bowl of the warm consommé on the side for dipping.
Start to finish, ten minutes. One pot roast, three meals. This is how you cook smart.
Recipe
Ingredients
2 cups leftover pot roast, shredded
1 cup leftover braising liquid, warmed (add 1 tsp chili powder and 1 tsp smoked paprika if your original roast was mild)
Reserved pot roast fat, skimmed from the chilled braising liquid
1 cup aged cheddar, grated
4 flour or corn tortillas
Extra braising liquid for serving
Steps
1. Prep the leftovers.
Pull the braising liquid from the fridge. Skim the hardened fat from the top and set aside. Pour the liquid into a small saucepan and warm over medium heat. Reduce slightly if you want a more concentrated consommé for dipping. Season with chili powder and smoked paprika if needed.
2. Warm the beef.
Add the shredded pot roast to the warm braising liquid for a few minutes to heat through. Remove with tongs and set aside.
3. Build the tacos.
Heat a griddle or large pan over medium heat. Add a spoonful of the reserved pot roast fat and let it melt. Dip each tortilla briefly in the warm braising liquid. Place the cheese directly onto the pan in the fat. Lay the dipped tortilla on top of the cheese. Let cook until the cheese melts and browns on the bottom, about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Fill and fold.
Add a portion of shredded beef on top of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla over. The bottom should be golden, crispy, and holding together.
5. Serve.
Plate immediately with a small bowl of warm consommé alongside for dipping.
At a Glance
Prep Time:
2
Cook Time:
8
Serves:
2
Difficulty:
Easy
20 Minutes
Dinner
Lunch
Makeover Meal