Mexican Shredded Beef and Cheese Grits

When you want a comfort meal but want to break away from pasta and meals that may or may not involve gravy ;), then might I suggest my new favorite: Mexican Shredded Beef and Cheese Grits. Perfectly slow-roasted beef roast absolutely melts apart and is full of juicy, South-of-the-Border spices. The grits are so cheesey and make a creamy base to soak up the flavors from the beef. Peppers and Onions are sauteed until sweet and tender and topped over the beef and grits. I promise you can not go wrong with this meal, so let’s make Mexican Shredded Beef and Cheese Grits!

Commence drooling…..

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Mexican Shredded Beef and Cheese Grits: Comfort on a Plate

To be honest, I never made beef roasts, maybe like 3 in our 11 years of marriage. You know how we are supposed to “stay away from red meat” and all. But then I was diagnosed with a thyroid disease and now encouraged to actually eat grass-fed red meat, potatoes, raw dairy, etc. Now this isn’t a blog for thyroid disease, but I have readjusted how I cook now and am getting to create meals I never did before and I’m loving it!

One way, and my favorite way of cooking a beef roast, is by making Mexican Shredded Beef and Cheese Grits. I love how tender the beef is and the juice from the meat is so decadent. The creamy, cheesey grits are heaven. Speaking of grits, I never had eaten grits until I was an adult! Please, anyone from the South, don’t hate me. Grits were nowhere near in my upbringing haha. But I love anything corn and anything cheese, so cheese grits were my missing puzzle piece in life.

Methods Busted:

So I have spent plenty of time trying out exactly what makes the best Mexican Shredded Beef because there are many recipes suggesting different methods. I tried many and the whole family agreed to what we nailed down in this recipe. There are two main things I want to suggest:

1. Don’t roast the beef with salsa: We found that the meat tasted too salty with salsa, even with different brands of salsa. My husband loves salt, but even he said this was not a great flavor. It also really becomes the main flavor, and the meat can’t shine at all. We prefer just an ordinary can of Rotel or a generic can of tomatoes and green chiles.
2. Don’t roast the beef with fresh peppers: I thought that this would intensify the flavors and then I could skip sauteing the peppers separately. However, I never tried it again. The peppers became too soft (just disappeared). Then we didn’t get to enjoy their own flavors and texture on top of the dish. The skins also were tough when cooked inside the dutch oven. We were left with strange tough pepper skins and basically no pepper flesh haha. So I cook them in a skillet with some juices from the beef and they are superb.

Ingredients for Mexican Shredded Beef and Cheese Grits

• Chuck Roast: I love to use grass-fed. In fact, I won’t make a roast unless I can get my hands on grass-fed. The flavor, to me, is completely different from grain-fed.
• Beef broth: Anything will do to make the braising liquid, but if you have any good quality beef stock that would be wonderful!
• Canned tomatoes and chiles: Rotel or generic will work.
• Chipotle peppers: Use as many as you like. Depending on the size, I might put only 1-2, but add more if you like heat! You can freeze the rest in a plastic baggie.
• Tomato paste:….If I’m being honest here, I rarely have tomato paste. So be a pro chef if you want and use the paste but I typically will substitute ketchup and we like it just fine.
• Lime: Fresh lime juice! This is Mexican Shredded Beef, c’mon now.
• Brown sugar: This is in the braising liquid and isn’t enough to make this a sweet dish, but creates a decadent, thickened sauce!
• Spices: oregano, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic, onion, cinnamon, and salt. If you don’t have smoked paprika don’t fret and just use normal paprika.
• Grits: Use what you can find or order some and follow the package directions, then add 1 cup of cheese. I like using a good stone-ground variety and not a quick cook type. For good quality grits and supporting a neat small business from South Carolina, try Marsh Hen Mill
• Cheese: When it comes to cheese for the grits, I like a good cheddar. Aldi carries smoked cheddar that is sooo good in this! But also a gouda or pepper jack would be nice.
• Creole Seasoning: I use a little of my Perfect Creole Seasoning in the grits to add depth of flavor.
• Peppers and Onion: I saute these nice and slow, add a little braising liquid near the end of cooking, and top this plate of comfort with them! They offer a little texture and sweetness.

Leftovers You Will Love!

This meal makes the best leftovers! Depending on your family size and how much they eat will determine how much leftovers you have (if any! haha). We always have enough for a complete meal the next night so here are some ideas:

• tacos
• enchiladas
• quesadillas
• flautas
• tamale pie
• nachos
• baked potato topping if you are feeling crazy and I know you are…

How to Make Mexican Shredded Beef and Cheese Grits

This is so simple, just takes time (about 3 hours) to cook in the oven. Now you could follow the steps of searing the meat and then adding it and everything else to a slow cooker (HIGH for 3.5-4.5 hours/ LOW for 6-8 hours), but I just use my cast iron Dutch oven. I haven’t tried it in the instant pot yet because I like this meal to be made on an intentional day where I create something nice for my family and slow everything down for the day. I spend quality time with my daughter while the beef roasts.

The Meat

First, make your seasoning mixture and combine them all on a plate. Then cut the meat into nice big chunks, or don’t, but I like to for searing it in the pot. The chunks above are still about the size of my hand. Roll the meat in the spices and gently shake off the excess. Meanwhile, have a heavy Dutch oven (or skillet if you will transfer to a slow cooker) heating with 2 TBS vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the meat in batches to not overcrowd the pot. Sear the meat on all sides to a nice golden brown color and then transfer it to a plate while you finish all of the meat.

Set all of the seared meat aside and add the braising liquid ingredients to the pot. Dump any remaining spices into the pot as well. Bring this liquid to a simmer and then add the meat into the liquid. Cover and place into the oven at 300 for 3-4 hours. At 3 hours, I will pull it out and experiment with the meat. Take two forks and attempt shredding the meat…does it seem very tender? Is it shredding easily and falling apart? Or are there still large strands of fat keeping the meat from shredding easily? If it isn’t tender yet, give it about 30 more minutes and it should be ready.*

Then remove the meat and shred it with two forks. Add the meat back to the pot with the liquid and give it a good mix. The meat will soak up the liquid and be so juicy!

*My oven is old (but I love it) and the temp is a little off, So I roast mine at 325 for 3-3.5 hours. You might have a good relationship with your oven and know exactly what I mean and how you might need to adjust or just follow the recipe.

The Grits

I like to use good stone ground grits. Every package might be different so follow your grits instructions. If you want truly good grits, use chicken broth or stock instead of water. I add milk to mine to make creamy grits, and add a cup of cheese. Now with the cheese, you can use whatever you like: gouda, pepperjack, cheddar, etc. I love to use a smoked white cheddar block from Aldi! It gives just a hint of smoke that compliments the meat and spices nicely! Lastly, I also add a bit of Creole Seasoning to give a slightly smokey flavor to the grits.

The Peppers and Onion

I love the soft and sweet peppers and onions on top of this dish! Please don’t skip this step! While the meat is nearing being done, I slice into strips 2 large peppers (red and yellow/orange) and a large onion and saute them with a little coconut oil. Coconut oil has a high smoke rate so it does well in sauteing them for a longer period. I cook them over medium to medium-low heat to avoid any browning. This might take 20 minutes or so to reach what I like in texture, but if you prefer more crunch, then cut the time short! Once the veggies are nearly done, I take a ladle (maybe 1/2 cup) of the braising liquids from the pot and add it to the skillet of veggies. They absorb the amazing flavors from the juices as they saute for another 5-10 minutes until the juices have reduced some.

Plate and Enjoy!

Try not to salivate too much as you make a base of the creamy, cheesy grits topped with juicy Mexican Shredded Beef and sauteed peppers and onions. It might be lava hot too, so be careful. If you burn your mouth on that first bite then you won’t be able to taste the rest of the meal and that’s not so fun. Practice patience with me.

Then…enjoy the fruits of your labor 🙂

Mexican Shredded Beef and Cheese Grits

Print Recipe

Creamy cheese grits topped with juicy, flavorful Mexican Shredded Beef and all topped off with tender and sweet sauteed peppers and onions

Ingredients

• 4 lbs Beef Roast I like grass-fed chuck roast
• 2 TBS Vegetable Oil
• 1 TBS Coconut Oil or Vegetable Oil again
• 1 14 oz Tomatoes and Green Chiles can undrained
• 2 TBS Brown Sugar
• 2 TBS Tomato Paste
• 1-3 canned Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce as many to taste, you can freeze the others from the can
• 1 Juice of 1 Lime
• 1 14.5 oz can Beef Broth
• 1 TBS Dried Oregano
• 1 TBS Chili Powder
• 1 TBS Cumin
• 1 TBS Salt
• 1/2 TBS Smoked Paprika regular paprika is fine too
• 1/2 TBS Onion Powder
• 1/2 TBS Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Ground Coriander
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Large Yellow Onion sliced
• 2 Large Bell Peppers sliced (red, yellow, orange combination)
• 1 Cup Cheese White cheddar, pepper jack, gouda are all fine choices
• 1 Cup Grits
• 1 tsp Creole Seasoning
• Liquid for grits (follow your package instructions)

Instructions

Spice Mix and Searing Beef

• *Preheat oven to 300 (if your oven runs low in temperature, then make it 325)
• Combine the Chili Powder, Cumin, Salt, Paprika, Coriander, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, and Cinnamon on a plate.
• Cut beef into large chunks and roll them into the spices to cover all sides. Gently shake off excess spices back onto the plate.
• Heat a Dutch oven with 2 TBS Vegetable oil until hot. When the oil is ready, sear the meat on all sides until it is golden brown. Sear the meat in batches so you do not overcrowd the pan. Set the meat aside.

Braising Liquid and Cooking Beef

• Combine Canned Tomatoes and Green Chiles, Brown Sugar, Oregano, Lime juice, Chipotle Peppers, Tomato Paste, and Beef Broth in the Dutch oven.
• Stir to Combine the ingredients and bring to a simmer.
• Once simmering, add the beef, cover, and place in the oven.
• Cook the beef for 3-4 hours at 300 degrees. After 3 hours, pull out the beef and see if it easily shreds. If it is not tender and falling apart yet, then cook it for another 30 minutes and check again until tender.
• Once the beef is tender and easily shredded, take the beef out and shred. Combine the shredded beef back into the pot with the remaining braising liquid and mix to incorporate.

Sauteed Peppers and Onions

• Slice 2 Bell Peppers (either red, orange, or yellow combination) and a large yellow onion. Heat 1 TBS Coconut oil or Vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat and slowly saute the veggies.
• Once the meat is nearly done, scoop out roughly 1/2 cup full of the braising liquid and dump it into the skillet of veggies. Let them simmer in the liquid until the liquid has reduced some. Make sure to keep the veggies on low enough temp so they don't burn, just become tender. Stir them often.

Cheese Grits

• Follow the instructions on your grits package. I like to use chicken stock in place of water, and also I add 1-2 cups of extra liquid with milk to make my grits creamy. Once grits are cooked according to package instructions, add 1 tsp Creole Seasoning and 1 cup of cheese. Stir to combine.

Plating

• Make a base layer of grits, followed by beef, then peppers and onions. Garnish with parsley if desired and enjoy!