Shredded Beef Tacos with Spicy Slaw and Avocado – Slow Cooker or Instant Pot

Ingredients

• A lean chuck roast, about 2 1/2 – 3 lbs. before trimming
• 1 T steak seasoning of your choice
• 2 tsp. olive oil, for browning meat
• 1 1/4 cup mild or medium salsa
• 1 can diced green chiles
• 2 T fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 T taco seasoning
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 whole wheat or low carb flour tortillas, 6 inch size
• 2 avocados, diced
• 2-3 tsp. fresh squeezed lime juice, to toss with avocado
• Cut lime pieces to squeeze on tacos, optional
• Extra green Tabasco sauce for serving, optional
• 1/4 small head green cabbage, very thinly sliced, then slightly chopped
• 1/4 small head red cabbage, very thinly sliced, then slightly chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 T mayo
• 2 T fat free Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1 tsp. green Tabasco sauce

Directions

1. Cut away every visible bit of fat and gristle from the chuck roast, then divide the roast into several chunks. Save the trimmings for beef stock if you like. Coat the meat on all sides with the steak seasoning.
2. Warm the oil in a heavy skillet, then sear the beef until it is deeply browned all the way around, about 8 minutes total. As the beef cooks, stir together the salsa, diced green chiles, lime juice, taco seasoning and a small amount of salt.
3. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker, spoon the salsa mixture over the top, and cook on low until the meat is tender enough to pull apart easily, about 6 hours.
4. Move the cooked beef to a cutting board. Pour the cooking liquid into a small saucepan and simmer it over medium heat until it is thicker and reduced by about half, about 10 minutes.
5. Use 2 forks to pull the beef into shreds, then return it to the slow cooker so it stays warm. Once the sauce has cooked down, stir it into the shredded beef and leave the mixture warming in the slow cooker.
6. Slice the cabbage very thinly, chop it, and chop the cilantro. Stir the mayo, Greek yogurt and green Tabasco sauce together for the dressing, then toss that with the cabbage. Dice the avocados and coat them with the lime juice.
7. Set a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and warm 2 or 3 tortillas at once, depending on how many fit. Flip them a few times, cooking just until they begin to firm up, then fold each tortilla in half into a taco shape.
8. Build each taco by adding 2-3 tablespoons of shredded beef to the bottom of a shell, followed by a light layer of slaw and a couple spoonfuls of avocado. Add lime pieces and extra green Tabasco sauce at the table if you want them. The beef freezes nicely and also holds well chilled, so doubling the batch is fine. For planned leftovers, make the slaw and cut the avocados just before eating, since those do not hold as well. You can also tuck the beef into burritos or pile it over lettuce for taco salad.