Tacos Suaderos

Braised Beef Belly, Vegetable Escabeche, Rajas con Crema, Avocado Purée, Corn Tortillas

Chef Jonathan Zaragoza of Birrieria Zaragoza | Chicago
Yield: 8 to 12 servings

---

Adapted by StarChefs | June 2018

INGREDIENTS

Braised Beef Belly:
200 grams salt
100 grams sugar
85 grams red chile flakes
1 kilogram beef navel (fat cap intact)
1 kilogram aged beef fat, coarsely chopped

Vegetable Escabeche:
325 grams sugar
1 kilogram white vinegar
20 grams salt
5 grams fennel seeds
5 grams coriander seeds
5 grams dry oregano
474 grams bite-size Romanesco florets, blanched
150 grams thinly sliced carrot coins, blanched
100 grams thinly sliced white onion
30 grams thinly sliced garlic
20 grams thinly sliced serrano chile

Rajas con Crema:
30 grams grapeseed oil
Salt
175 grams thinly sliced white onions
200 grams thinly sliced charred poblano chiles, skins, seeds, and stems removed
20 grams microplaned garlic
35 grams Mexican crema

Avocado Purée:
500 grams coarsely chopped avocado
50 grams cilantro leaves, blanched
50 grams lime juice
25 grams thinly sliced garlic
10 grams seeded, thinly sliced serrano chile
10 grams salt

To Assemble and Serve:
Cilantro sprigs
Warm corn tortillas

METHOD

For the Braised Beef Belly:
In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar, and chile flakes. Rub the cure into all sides of the beef.  Transfer to a half-sheet tray lined with a wire rack and refrigerate 24 hours. Heat oven to 275°F.  Allow beef to come to room temperature. Pat dry with paper towels. In a Dutch oven, melt the beef fat, add the cured beef and brown on all sides, basting in the fat. Cover securely and braise in oven for 2½ hours, until fork tender. Increase heat to 350°F, remove lid, and cook until beef is golden. Remove from oven and allow beef to cool to room temperature in Dutch oven. Transfer beef to a half-hotel pan and place another pan on top. Place a weight in the top pan and refrigerate beef 24 hours. Portion into 2-inch by 1-inch rectangles.

For the Vegetable Escabeche:
In a large pot with 300 grams water, combine sugar, vinegar, salt, fennel, coriander, and oregano. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and cool to 100°F. In a nonreactive container, combine remaining ingredients. Pour brine over top, cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate.

For the Rajas con Crema:
In a saucepan over medium-high flame, heat oil, add onions, and season with salt. Cook until caramelized. Add poblano and garlic and sauté. Add crema and cook until just warmed through. Remove from heat and season with salt. Chill.  

For the Avocado Purée:
To a Vitamix blender, add all ingredients; purée. Cover and chill.

To Assemble and Serve:
Heat oven to 300°F. On a sizzle platter, warm a portion of Braised Beef Belly. On plate, spoon a generous amount of Avocado Purée. Alongside the Avocado Purée, arrange some Vegetable Escabeche and garnish with cilantro. Place the Braised Beef Belly on top of the Avocado Purée. Finish with Rajas con Crema and serve with tortillas.

---