Venison Barbacoa

Ingredients

• 3 lb boneless venison shoulder or roast, cut in 3-inch chunks
• 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo
• 1/2 white onion
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 bay leaves
• Warm corn tortillas for serving
• Chopped white onion and cilantro for serving

Method

1. Heat the oven to 300°F. Soak the guajillo and ancho chiles in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain.
2. Blend the soaked chiles, chipotles, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, vinegar and stock until smooth.
3. Season the venison with the salt and brown it in the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, in batches.
4. Pour the sauce over the meat, add the bay leaves, cover tightly and braise in the oven until the meat shreds easily, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
5. Venison is safe at 160°F and gets tender well beyond that; check the thickest piece, then shred the meat into the sauce, simmering uncovered if it's thin.
6. Serve in warm tortillas with onion and cilantro.

Notes