Last week, I was given some beautiful habanero chilies and wanted to create something special with them, so I started doing some research. There are not a whole lot of recipes that call for habaneros specifically, but many pages deep into my search I found a spicy shredded beef dish native to the Yucatan in Mexico that really peaked my interest…
Dzik is traditionally made with venison, but I also found versions made with goat, boar and of course, beef. The recipe will remain the same regardless of the meat you use as most of the flavors come from a delicious spicy salsa that the shredded meat is tossed with before serving.
This salsa is flavorful combination of tomatoes, radishes, red onions, habanero chilies, lime and orange juice. It is sweet, salty, sour and spicy and I am so excited for you to meet this wonderful dish.
Let’s get started…
Begin by generously seasoning 3 pounds of chuck roast or brisket (or venison shoulder) with sea salt, black pepper and dried thyme. Cut the roast into large cubes and place them into an instapot or pressure cooker along with a large quartered yellow onion and 5 cloves of minced garlic.
Pressure cook on high for about 50 minutes.
While the beef is cooking, begin preparing your ingredients for the salsa by finely dicing 1/2 of a small red onion, 1 cup of tomatoes, 2-3 radishes and a small habanero chili. Finely chop about 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro and gather 1/3 cup of orange juice, 2 tablespoons of lime juice and salt and black pepper.
Combine all of the vegetables and cilantro in a small dish and set it aside for now.
Once the beef is cooked, discard the onions and any liquid from the pot. Shred the beef up with 2 forks or your hands and place it into a bowl along with the finely chopped vegetables and cilantro.
Traditional recipes call for sour orange juice, which would come from naranja agria, but finding these Latin sour oranges can be difficult, so I am using about 1/3 cup of orange juice and a few tablespoons of fresh lime juice instead. This sweet and sour combination adds something special to the overall flavor of the dzik.
Mix the shredded beef, salsa and citrus juices together and add generous portions into warm corn tortillas. Garnish the tacos with fresh cilantro leaves, pickled red onions, a little queso fresco and any salsa left behind.
The flavors in these dzik tacos are amazing. The balance of sweet orange juice and tomatoes, sour lime, bold red onions and spicy habaneros and radish is fantastic. Everything comes together in such a wonderful way that I have never tasted before, but can’t wait to make again.
If you are concerned about the spicy level, you can reduce the amount of habanero in the salsa, but I wouldn’t omit it entirely. I used a very finely chopped small habanero chili, which gave me about 2 tablespoons. If you want to start out with a teaspoon or so of habanero, this will give you the flavor without making the dish too spicy.
The radishes also add their own version of spice to this dish. Radishes can be quite spicy when eaten raw, so be sure to finely chop them to avoid getting a big mouthful of raw radish, if you aren’t a fan of heat.
I want to add one more thing before I wrap up this fabulous recipe… add the pickled onions. I used to think I wasn’t a fan of pickled onions until I started making them myself. My quick pickled red onion recipe adds a great hit of sweet tanginess to these tacos and anything else you add them too. I think you will love them.
If you too are looking for a delicious and special way to use a few habanero chilies then I would highly suggest you try these tacos de dzik. It will take your taste buds straight to the Yucatan and you’re going to love the trip.
Salud!
Tacos de Dzik
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
The Shredded Beef...
- 3 pounds of chuck roast, brisket or venison shoulder
- 1 large yellow onion, quartered
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- sea salt, black pepper and dried thyme
The Salsa...
- 1 cup of tomatoes, finely minced
- 1/2 of a small red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 2-3 radishes, very finely minced
- 1 small habanero chili, very finely minced
- 1/3 cup of orange juice
- 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
- salt and black pepper
The Garnishes...
- pickled red onions
- fresh cilantro
- queso fresco, crumbled
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Slice the roast into 2 inch cubes and generously season with sea salt, black pepper and dried Italian herbs
- Place the seasoned beef into an instapot or pressure cooker along with the onion and garlic
- Pressure cook on high for 15-20 minutes per pound (50 minutes is suggested for a 3 pound roast)
- While the beef is cooking, combine 1/2 of a finely diced small red onion, 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh cilantro, 1 cup of finely minced tomatoes, 2-3 very finely diced radishes, 1 small very finely minced habanero chili and a big pinch of salt and black pepper in a small bowl.
- Once the beef is done cooking, shred it in a large bowl and add the salsa along with 1/3 cup of orange juice and 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Mix until evenly distributed.
- Serve in warm corn tortillas garnished with pickled red onions, fresh cilantro, crumbled queso fresco and lime wedges
