Chipotle Beef Tostadas

How to make Chipotle Beef Tostadas

1. 1Start by slicing your beef chuck into large, even cubes and pat them dry.
2. 2Heat oil in a pan until it’s ripping hot. Drop the beef in and let it sear undisturbed until you get a deep, dark crust. Flip and brown all sides. Once beautifully caramelized, pull the beef out and set it aside.
3. 3In that same pan, throw in a chopped onion and a few cloves of garlic. Let them char and soften in all that beef fat until smoky and fragrant.
4. 4Now build the sauce. In a blender, combine fire-roasted tomatoes, chipotle peppers in adobo (or chipotle sauce), soaked New Mexico and ancho chilies, the charred onion and garlic, oregano, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
5. 5Add the seared beef to a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or crock pot. Pour that blended sauce all over the top, making sure every piece is fully coated.
6. 6Cover and cook low and slow until the beef is fork-tender and shreds effortlessly.
7. 7While that works, make your esquites. In a bowl, squeeze mayo over canned corn, sprinkle in chili powder, add plenty of crumbled cotija, and hit it with fresh lime juice. Mix until creamy and well combined.
8. 8Fry corn tortillas in hot oil until crisp, or grab pre-made tostada shells.
9. 9Smear each tostada with mashed avocado and a squeeze of lime. Pile on the shredded chipotle beef.
10. 10Top with a scoop of the corn esquites, add a spoonful of pico de gallo, and finish with a drizzle of chipotle sour cream. Enjoy!