French Dip Tacos -- The Kind of Weeknight Shortcut That Earns Its Keep

The first outdoor farrier work of the spring season — Vera's quarter horses in Hobson again, plus three stops on the new Tuesday route. The ground is soft enough now that I prefer the indoor work but most clients don't have indoor arenas, so you work in whatever the day offers. Monday was thirty-eight degrees and intermittent sleet, and I did six horses at a place north of Denton with my hands cold enough that I had to warm them on the horse's barrel between shoes. This is the job. The job is real.

I've been getting asked what the book is about. People in the county hear you have a book coming out and they ask, which is well-intentioned and also slightly hard to answer in a driveway in March while sleet falls. I've been working on the short version: "About cooking through a year on a Montana ranch. About what the seasons do to you if you pay attention." Most people nod and look interested. A few want to talk about food, which is the best outcome.

Patrick had his regular neurology check with Dr. Mendes on Wednesday. The medication continues to be effective — the tremor is "well-managed," she said, and the balance improvement from physical therapy has held. She did note that the next progression, when it comes, is likely to affect his fine motor control further — handwriting, buttons, the small detailed things. He listened without expression and asked the practical questions: what to watch for, what to report, when to come back. He is very good at managing information about his own condition. I think this comes from his constitution, which has always been more interested in what to do than in how to feel about it.

Tom is deep in the third book now. He called Thursday evening from what sounded like the middle of a very satisfying working session — slightly distracted, slightly impatient to get back to the page, the particular sound of a person interrupted at something important. I told him to call me back when he came up for air. He said "probably June." I said that was fine.

St. Patrick's Day this week. Corned beef and cabbage, which I make every year with appropriate effort: brisket brined in salt and spices for three days, simmered low for four hours, served with the cooking liquid's vegetables and a sharp mustard. Patrick says his mother made it without the spices and it was better. I make it with the spices anyway, which is a form of independence.

The corned beef this year was everything it should be — three days in the brine, four hours at a low simmer, sharp mustard on the side, Patrick’s mother silently disagreed with from somewhere beyond the grave. But most weeks aren’t St. Patrick’s Day, and most weeks look more like six horses in sleet north of Denton and a neurology appointment and a Thursday phone call with a writer who’s already back at the page before you’ve said goodbye. For those weeks, I keep this recipe: French Dip Tacos, which borrow the same deep, beefy logic of a long braise and put it on the table without asking much of you in return. It’s the kind of cooking that respects that the job was already real today.

French Dip Tacos

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 8 hrs | Total Time: 8 hrs 15 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs beef chuck roast
• 1 packet (1 oz) onion soup mix
• 1 can (10.5 oz) beef consommé
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 small flour tortillas
• 6 slices provolone cheese, halved
• 1 cup sliced white onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Load the slow cooker. Place the chuck roast in the slow cooker. Sprinkle onion soup mix evenly over the top. Pour in the beef consommé, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Add minced garlic and black pepper.
2. Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is completely tender and falls apart when prodded with a fork.
3. Shred the beef. Remove the roast from the slow cooker and shred with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded beef to the cooking liquid and stir to coat. Reserve the remaining liquid as your dipping au jus.
4. Caramelize the onions. In a skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 to 15 minutes until softened and golden.
5. Warm the tortillas. Heat a dry skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Warm each tortilla for 30 to 45 seconds per side until pliable with a few light char spots.
6. Assemble the tacos. Layer each tortilla with a generous portion of shredded beef, a few caramelized onions, and a half-slice of provolone. Fold and serve immediately alongside small cups of the warm au jus for dipping.
7. Serve. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Pass extra au jus at the table.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 890mg