Food
Slow cooker tri-tip recipe: A foray into mole
Food
Slow cooker tri-tip recipe: A foray into mole
(Mole = "
mo-lay". Rhymes with 'hooray!' because it tastes so good.
)
Earlier this year I was introduced to the beef tri-tip.
The wha?
Tri-tip! It's a cut of beef Californians have raved about for years - an inexpensive, boneless, triangular cut of beef taken from the bottom sirloin butt. Or in my non-butchery terms, where the hind leg attaches to the hip. Tri-tip has the same flavour as a top sirloin, but with minimal cooking at a fraction of the cost.
This behemoth cut of meat with excellent marbling cost me $15: [caption id="attachment_2481" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="$15, which the young strapping butcher said would feed 4, but I think it's closer to 6. "]
[/caption] Ideally, I would have barbecued this cut like a Californian. Or, roasted in the oven for just 30 minutes served with potatoes and green beans. But I don't have a BBQ. Or air-conditioning. The oven was not an option. When the young strapping butcher recommended the slow cooker, my mind exploded with visions of...
~ ~ mole ~ ~
Mole. You intense, rich, nutty, peppery, smoky, tomato-y, chocolate-infused meat-ambrosia from Mexico. I had never made it before, but I knew mole would marry beautifully with the tri-tip in my slow cooker, creating the most beautiful child of all:
The Ultimate Slow Cooker Mole Pulled Beef Burrito
[caption id="attachment_2482" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="She's a beaut! "]
[/caption]
How to make The Ultimate Slow Cooker Mole Pulled Beef Burrito:
1. Buy a tri-tip from your butcher
2. Click and print Canadian Living's
Chicken Mole recipe. Bring to the grocery store.
3. Don't be alarmed if you can't find the exact peppers. Instead of
anchos,
mulattos and
pastillas, I used
anchos, smoky
moritas and cute, spicy
cascabels. [caption id="attachment_2484" align="aligncenter" width="353" caption="Left: Ancho chiles; Right: Cascabel chiles. (the moritas were very dried up and ugly)"]
[/caption]
4. Set aside 2 hours for your mole, especially if you're catching up on CBC podcasts. Follow the recipe's instructions.
5. (optional) Lightly salt and sear your tri-tip on each side, just before the mole is ready. [caption id="attachment_2485" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Searing tri-tip and angry cauldron of mole, 3 minutes before their marriage in my slow cooker."]
[/caption]
6. Place tri-tip in slow cooker. Pour HALF of the blended mole overtop, reserving the other half for another day. Or to eat from the jar in secret. Set slow cooker on high for 4-1/2 hours (which is what I did) or low for 8 hours (ideal).
7. Chop up tomatoes, green onions and avocado.
8. Spoon mole beef onto flour tortilla, top with tomatoes, green onions and avocado. Serve with yogurt or sour cream on the side.
9. Revel in the glory of your Ultimate Slow Cooker Mole Beef Burrito [caption id="attachment_2486" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Spicy smoky tomatoy nutty chocolaty beef. oh yeah. "]
[/caption]
Have you ever experienced the tri-tip? How did you cook it?
[/caption] Ideally, I would have barbecued this cut like a Californian. Or, roasted in the oven for just 30 minutes served with potatoes and green beans. But I don't have a BBQ. Or air-conditioning. The oven was not an option. When the young strapping butcher recommended the slow cooker, my mind exploded with visions of...
~ ~ mole ~ ~
Mole. You intense, rich, nutty, peppery, smoky, tomato-y, chocolate-infused meat-ambrosia from Mexico. I had never made it before, but I knew mole would marry beautifully with the tri-tip in my slow cooker, creating the most beautiful child of all:
The Ultimate Slow Cooker Mole Pulled Beef Burrito
[caption id="attachment_2482" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="She's a beaut! "]
[/caption]
How to make The Ultimate Slow Cooker Mole Pulled Beef Burrito:
1. Buy a tri-tip from your butcher
2. Click and print Canadian Living's
Chicken Mole recipe. Bring to the grocery store.
3. Don't be alarmed if you can't find the exact peppers. Instead of
anchos,
mulattos and
pastillas, I used
anchos, smoky
moritas and cute, spicy
cascabels. [caption id="attachment_2484" align="aligncenter" width="353" caption="Left: Ancho chiles; Right: Cascabel chiles. (the moritas were very dried up and ugly)"]
[/caption]
4. Set aside 2 hours for your mole, especially if you're catching up on CBC podcasts. Follow the recipe's instructions.
5. (optional) Lightly salt and sear your tri-tip on each side, just before the mole is ready. [caption id="attachment_2485" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Searing tri-tip and angry cauldron of mole, 3 minutes before their marriage in my slow cooker."]
[/caption]
6. Place tri-tip in slow cooker. Pour HALF of the blended mole overtop, reserving the other half for another day. Or to eat from the jar in secret. Set slow cooker on high for 4-1/2 hours (which is what I did) or low for 8 hours (ideal).
7. Chop up tomatoes, green onions and avocado.
8. Spoon mole beef onto flour tortilla, top with tomatoes, green onions and avocado. Serve with yogurt or sour cream on the side.
9. Revel in the glory of your Ultimate Slow Cooker Mole Beef Burrito [caption id="attachment_2486" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Spicy smoky tomatoy nutty chocolaty beef. oh yeah. "]
[/caption]
Have you ever experienced the tri-tip? How did you cook it?
Related articles
- Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos (thedivaspot.wordpress.com)
- FriendsEat Mole: Hanneke Eerden Guest Post (friendseat.com)
- Get Out Your Slow Cooker - Summer is Here! (healthyslowcooking.com)
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