Whole30 Southwest Beef Tacos with Coffee & Cocoa
Notwithstanding living in the United States for upwards of 6 years, I continue to familiarize 
myself with the different cuts of meat while matching them with their English counterparts.
Determined to use all our food supplies as our international move back to the UK drew closer, we were on a mission to empty our freezer of all the good stuff. With an abundance of prized meats gifted to us in the fall by a good neighbor with a Wisconsin butcher in the family, the eye round roast was foreign to me.
A quick google search brought me this description straight from The Cook’s Thesaurus “The round is a kind term for the rear end of the carcass. Those muscles are well exercised, so round cuts tends to be a bit tougher and leaner than cuts from the loin. Round cuts do well if they’re cooked with moist heat…” The English equivalent is thick flank or top rump.
Having crafted our “keys to success for slow cooking” in our slow cooking Zen eBook to include that sentiment, it is deemed the ideal cut for the slow cooker.
If you’re looking for a last minute fix heading into the July 4th celebrations tomorrow then this has everything you need for keeping it simple and delivering bold flavors. Add in a few extra sides – coleslaw, guacamole and make your own taco bar.
Week 3 – Flavors of the Southwest
In this, our final week of Whole30 dedicated recipes, I modified the zesty punch of our Southwest Fiesta blend and added a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and a teaspoon of instant coffee (alternatively a single serve Starbucks VIA readybrew.) I rubbed the eye round roast with a little olive oil and the Southwest mixture, laid it in the slow cooker and added a 1/3 cup lime juice.
As in previous weeks, I also used the feature blend for a dressing. Mix 1 tablespoon of Southwest Fiesta, 1 cup mayonnaise and 3 tablespoons of lime juice into a creamy Southwest salad dressing to go over an avocado, lettuce, tomatoe, mixed peppers and roasted chicken salad.
- 1 Southwest Fiesta slow cooker spice blend, or your favorite Southwest seasoning
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 lb eye round / rump roast or brisket
- 1/3 cup lime juice *plus 2/3 cup water for Instant Pot method
- romaine lettuce leaves, rinsed
- 1/2 cup white onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- in a small bowl mix together the Southwest Fiesta spice blend, cocoa powder, coffee and salt
- rub onto the top of the eye round / rump roast
- transfer to the slow cooker
- add the lime juice to the slow cooker
- cover and cook on LOW: 8-9 hours or HIGH: 3-4 hours
- remove the lid and shred the beef into the juices
- in a small bowl mix together the Southwest Fiesta spice blend, cocoa powder, coffee and salt
- rub onto the top of the eye round / rump roast
- transfer to the Instant Pot
- add the lime juice and water to the Instant Pot
- secure the Instant Pot lid and pressure valve to Sealing
- press the Manual button and adjust the cook time to 45 minutes
- once cooked, turn the dial to Venting and use Quick Pressure Release
- remove the lid and shred the beef into the juices
- serve the shredded beef on top of Romaine lettuce leaves, topped with onion and cilantro
- Southwest sweet potato & beef hash bowls with a fried egg
- sauté 1 cm cubes of sweet potato and potato in olive oil, mixed with leftover beef and serve with a fried egg on top
“Man maintains his balance, poise, and sense of security only as he is moving forward.”
-Maxwell Maltz
