Jalapeño Shredded Beef and Polenta

This Jalapeño Shredded Beef and Polenta is hearty and comforting. Beef and jalapeño peppers are cooked in a slow cooker and then served on a bed of creamy instant polenta. It’s so easy to make too!

Happy spring everyone!! Do you know that today is the first day of the glorious season of life and rebirth? Ironically, we are welcoming it with a snowstorm. Typical New England, although winter has been good to us this year. However, it’s going out in a blaze of glory. The flakes are due to start tonight. I’m keeping my fingers crossed in hopes that we won’t get more than six inches.

I have a perfect meal to weather out this last blast of winter. This spicy beef and polenta is comforting, satisfying, and rib-sticking. It warms you up from the inside out. As if all this wasn’t enough, it is one of the easiest meals to put together too.

Start by putting a dry rub on the meat (I like chuck roast or brisket); put it in a slow cooker with some tomato sauce, canned pickled jalapeño, and spices; then turn it on and forget about it for 8 to 10 hours. When it’s finally tender, shred the pork using two forks. Finally, all this beefy goodness is returned to the slow cooker to soak in all the delicious juices. The beef is tender, savory, and tangy, with enough of a kick to warm the back of your throat. It’s the perfect amount of heat for those of us who like medium heat level.

Don’t care too much for heat? Use jalapeño slices marked “mild”. Or use only a half of the jalapeño and its juices. Replace the remaining with a half cup of beef broth. You can leave out the canned jalapeño entirely (but I don’t recommend it) if you have no tolerance to spiciness. If you do, substitute it with one full cup of beef broth.

For a quick and easy meal at the end of the day, I round off the shredded beef with creamy instant polenta. The brand I use takes literally 3-4 minutes to cook once added to the boiling liquid. It is a great option over the traditional polenta, which takes about 30 minutes to cook (more or less depending on the size of the cornmeal used). 

This is a great semi-make-ahead meal that is perfect for a busy weeknight. Cook and shred the meat on the weekend…then during the week, warm it up and make the instant polenta. There you go—a lip-smacking dinner in minutes without breaking a sweat! It is the kind of meal that I like to come home to these days. 

Until next time, have a wonderful week!

Recommended supplies:

(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)

• This simple 4-quart slow cooker has high customer satisfaction.
• Kitchen tong—this heavyweight stainless steel tong is a great utility all-purpose kitchen tool.
• A saucepan to make polenta. This 3-quart saucepan is nonstick and comes with a glass lid.
• Silicone spatula for stirring the polenta. I have a set similar to this one. I love that it is one piece and has no seams.

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Jalapeño Shredded Beef and Polenta

Author: Thao | In Good Flavor Cuisine:American Courses:Main

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time:9 hours Total time:9 hours 15 minutesServings:6 Servings

Description

This Jalapeño Shredded Beef and Polenta is hearty and comforting. Beef and jalapeño peppers are cooked in a slow cooker and then served on a bed of creamy instant polenta. It’s so easy to make too!

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. brown sugar for the rub
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. tsp. paprika
• 3 – 4 lbs. chuck roast or brisket 
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 (11-oz.) Can Green Pickled Jalapeño Nacho Slices; undrained (pick out stems)
• 2 tsp. beef bouillon (salted)
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar for the sauce
• 3 – 3 1/2 lbs. chuck roast or brisket
• chopped scallion for garnishing, optional

For the Instant Polenta:

• 2 cups Pastene Instant Polenta *
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 salt, plus more to taste 
• 3 tbsp. butter, cut into large chunks

Instructions

1. Combine 2 teaspoons brown sugar, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Rub onto chuck roast.
2. Add tomato sauce, undrained jalapeño, brown sugar, and beef bouillon to the bottom of the slow cooker. Blend well. Add chuck roast. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Check at the 8-hour mark, if not fork tender, continue to cook, checking about every 40 minutes until tender. 
3. Remove beef from slow cooker. Shred using two forks. Skim the fat off the top of the meat juices in slow cooker. Add the shredded beef back into the pot as you cook the polenta.

For the polenta:

4. Bring water to a boil. Add salt. Gradually whisk in 2 cups of polenta. Reduced heat to a simmer and whisk for 3-4 minutes. If polenta spits too much, remove from heat and continue stirring for a few seconds before returning to heat. When done, polenta should be smooth, spoonable, and creamy. Extra water or milk can be added if the mixture is too thick. Add butter at the end and blend well. Adjust salt to taste. Yields about 8 cups of cooked polenta.  

To serve:

5. Top the polenta with shredded beef and its juices. Garnish with chopped scallion, optional. Serve immediately as the polenta thickens as it sits.

Notes

• * Polenta cooking instructions vary from brand to brand. If using a different brand of polenta, prepare yours according to your brand’s package directions. 
• Water, chicken broth, milk, or a combination thereof could be used in cooking the polenta. Chicken broth will provide more flavor while milk makes it creamier. 
• Green Pickled Jalapeño Nacho Slices come in varying degrees of heat. Choose what you like. I use hot.

Keywords:Slow Cooker, Shredded Beef, Polenta, Jalapeno Peppers, Make Ahead Meal

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