Mexican Shredded Brisket Salad

This classic Mexican dish—known as salpicón de res—combines a shredded beef salad with a tangy lime dressing. Beef brisket, normally a slow-cooking cut, becomes fork-tender in a fraction of the time when pressure-cooked. To be efficient, while the beef cooks, prepare the other ingredients, except for the avocado (which will discolor), and keep them chilled until ready to use. For an appealing crunch and toasty corn ﬂavor, serve on tostadas (corn tortillas that are fried ﬂat).

Cuisine

American, Modern

Course

Dinner, Main Course, Salad

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

more than 2 hours

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook, Sauté

Keywords

4 servings, american, bay leaves, beef brisket, brisket recipe, Chistopher Kimball, contributed, cook 70 min, dinner, dried oregano, easy, extra-virgin olive oil, instant pot brisket recipes, instant pot recipe, instant pot recipes, kosher salt and ground black pepper, lightly packed fresh cilantro, lime juice, main course, medium garlic cloves, medium head romaine lettuce, medium yellow onion, modern, more than 2 hours, pitted green olives, prep 15 min, pressure cook, pressure cooker recipes, radishes, ripe avocado, salad, sauté

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

70 min

Servings

4 servings

Ingredients

6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
5 medium garlic cloves
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
3 bay leaves
2 tsp dried oregano
2 lb beef brisket
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup pitted green olives
1 medium head romaine lettuce
6 Radishes
1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro
1 ripe avocado

Instructions

START: On a 6-quart Instant Pot, select Normal/Medium Sauté. Add 1 tbsp oil and heat until shimmering, then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onion is golden brown, another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, the bay, 1 tsp oregano and 1 cup water, scraping up any browned bits. Add the beef in an even layer, slightly overlapping the pieces if needed.
Fast: Press Cancel, lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook or Manual; make sure the pressure level is set to High. Set the cooking time for 45 minutes. When pressure cooking is complete, allow the pressure to reduce naturally for 15 minutes, then release the remaining steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Press Cancel, carefully open the pot and let the contents cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
FINISH: While the beef is cooking, in a large bowl whisk together the lime juice, the remaining 5 tbsp oil, the remaining 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp each salt and pepper. Set aside. Once the meat is done, use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat and onion to a medium bowl; do not discard the liquid remaining in the pot. With two forks, shred the beef into bite-size pieces. Whisk the dressing to recombine. Add 1/2 cup of the dressing, the olives and 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid to the shredded meat, then toss to coat. Let cool to room temperature. Whisk the remaining dressing once again. Add the lettuce, radishes and cilantro to it, then toss to coat. Transfer to a platter and top with the beef and the avocado. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes

Don’t allow the brisket to cool completely in the pot. Shredding and dressing the beef while still warm helps it more readily absorb the dressing. Also, don’t discard the remaining cooking liquid. It’s rich and meaty and, once strained, can be used in place of beef broth or stock in soups and stews.

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