Recipe of the week: Pulled beef tacos with corn salsa

I’ve started cooking dinners for a busy friend and her family. It’s great to have the distraction because I’m soooooooo BORED during lockdown.

I thought I’d share the recipes with you each week to kill a bit more interminable time.

This week’s menu kicked off with Pulled Beef Tacos with Corn Salsa; plus a pot of potato and leek soup. Forgive my terrible photography – I was so rushed getting everything ready for my first delivery that I forgot to take a proper snap. The food should be prettily styled like the dish in the main photo, which come from Taste of Home.

Mine might not look the best, but my friend sent me a video of her family eating the meal and they all gave them two thumbs up. Here’s the recipe:

Pulled Beef Tacos with Corn Salsa

1-l.5kg beef brisket (depending on how many people you are trying to feed – 1kg is plenty for my family of three, but a larger piece provides more leftovers)

Mexican spice mix of choice

1 cup chicken stock

3 corn cobs, roasted and kernels removed

4 roma tomatoes, diced

1 red onion, finely chopped

Fresh coriander

Lime juice

Splash of olive oil

Optional: fresh chilli or hot sauce

Soft tacos (I recommend La Banderita, which are available at IGA, Coles and Harris Farm)

Crumbled feta and guacamole to serve

METHOD: Preheat oven to 150C. Pour stock into an oven-proof dish with lid. Rub brisket with spice mix and place in dish, cover and slow cook for 4-5 hours, until it falls apart when you shred it with two forks. Keep an eye on the stock levels, you don’t want the beef to dry out.

Mix together the corn kernels, tomatoes, onion, coriander, lime juice and optional chilli. Remove beef from oven and shred with two forks.

Place beef brisket, corn salsa, crumbled feta, hot sauce and guacamole with soft tacos on the table and let everyone help themselves.

Potato & Leek Soup

2 large leeks, sliced

Cooking oil or butter

1 rasher streaky bacon, chopped

1.5 litres chicken stock

4 medium desiree potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 stick celery, chopped

1/3 cup single cream or sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 1/2 tsp of sambal oelek

METHOD: Sweat the leeks and bacon in oil or butter until translucent. Add the potatoes, carrot, celery and stock and simmer until veggies are soft. Add sambal oelek if you like a bit of bite. Puree with a stick blender until smooth. Swirl through cream. Serve with a fresh bread cob.