Shredded Chuck Roast Tostadas – Yum!

While the unofficial end to summer isn’t until Labor Day and the official end of summer is September 22, for all practical purposes, summer is over. When schools open for a new year, that’s the true end of summer.

When I was a girl, summer ended with Labor Day because the Tuesday after Labor Day was the start of the new school year. But that has changed. School begins earlier and earlier, with summer vacation in May. Some schools are year-round with vacation breaks throughout the year. When Kiddo was a little kid, his “summer” break was in October. For us, that was awesome. The weather is nice without being overly hot, and the usual crowds were gone. I loved taking a vacation in October. Hubby and I are talking about returning to that. For many of our younger friends, summer has ended and the children have returned to school.

Returned to school – how nice! I don’t know how education has been in your part of the world, but with the pandemic, so many children were deprived of that in-person experience so vital to becoming well-rounded people. I truly worry about the future of our children.

Our children (as in our own) are grown, with grown children of their own, and even grandchildren. So why worry about the children of society? Because who they are as people will greatly influence the social structure of our civilization. And like it or not, we all live in this world. So I worry about the mental well-being of everyone for very selfish reasons. I want to live in a world that is filled with kindness and compassion for one another. That includes everyone, those I agree with, and those I don’t.

Anyway, that’s my rant for today. So onward into the kitchen. Let’s face it, cooking delicious foods are the real reason we’re all here.

Today is the perfect day for a supper that takes very little work yet is oh so delicious. My guys love Mexican foods. Unfortunately, over the years I have become a master of Mexican cooking. I say unfortunately because we all enjoy home cooking more that eating out. For us, the only reason to eat out is that someone else does the dishes and pours the Margaritas. Okay, Hubby pours the Margaritas in our house, so that’s not really a consideration for me. Still, it’s nice to have someone wait on you every now and again.

Recently we discovered Baked Tostada Shells at the grocery store. These are a little thicker than the traditional shells, and therefore less fragile. But the flavor is there. The support is there. And let’s face it, anything baked is a little healthier than anything fried. Although these tostadas are anything but healthily. I suppose you could use fat free sour cream or Greek Yogurt instead of full-fat sour cream. That’s entirely up to you. Don’t have an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker? That’s okay, too. Use a Dutch Oven. Sear, cover and cook the roast on low for about 2 hours or so, adding a little beef stock as needed to keep the roast from becoming too dry as it cooks. Most of all, enjoy!

Shredded Chuck Roast Tostadas
2-1/2 lb Boneless Chuck Roast
Ground Cumin to taste
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Cayenne Pepper to taste
Jalapeno Olive Oil as needed
1/2 cup Beef Stock, divided
1 cup Hatch Green Chili Sauce
8 Baked Tostada Shells
2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning
1 (16 oz) can Spicy Refried Beans
2 ripe Tomatoes
2 Jalapeno Peppers
1 Fresno or Cajun Bell
Guacamole as desired
Sour Cream as desired

Score both sides of roast with a sharp knife without cutting all the way through. Season to taste with cumin, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper on both sides. Set roast aside.

Coat the bottom of the insert of pressure cooker with a little Jalapeno Olive Oil. Select SAUTE, CUSTOM, LEVEL 7, 6 MINUTES. Press start. When cooker is ready, sear roast for 3 minutes per side. Remove roast from insert, set aside. Remove insert from the pot. Deglaze the insert with 1/4 cup beef stock, scraping up any browned bits. Drizzle drippings over the roast.

Pour about 1/2 cup of Hatch Green Chili Sauce in the bottom of the insert pot. Return roast to the pot. Pour remaining green chili sauce over the roast. Place insert into the pressure cooker. Select PRESSURE COOK, BEEF, 55 MINUTES, HIGH. Lock lid in place, press start.

Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Quick release remaining pressure. Remove lid, lift insert from the pot. Remove roast to a bowl, let cool for about 10 minutes.

While the roast cools, warm oven to 425- degrees. Arrange tostada shells on a rimmed baking sheet, set aside.

Place shredded cheese in a mixing bowl. Add taco seasoning, toss to coat cheese in seasoning. Set aside.

Empty refried beans into a microwave-safe bowl. Add remaining ¼ cup beef stock to the beans. Cover beans with a paper towel or plastic wrap to prevent splattering in the microwave. Warm on HIGH for 2 minutes. Remove beans, stir stock into the beans to thin. Divide refried beans among the shells, spread out almost to the edge of each tostada shell.

Lay roast out on a cutting board, shred meat using the 2-fork method. Divide shredded meat among the tostada shells, scattering meat over the beans. Top meat with the seasoned cheese. Place in the oven and let bake for about 12 minutes, just until cheese has melted.

While the tostadas bake, dice tomatoes and set aside. Stem peppers, finely mince and mix together as a garnish.

Remove tostadas from the oven. Dollop with guacamole and sour cream. Sprinkle a little minced pepper for heat. Top with fresh tomatoes. If desired, add salsa or hot sauce for even more heat.

Serve with Margaritas and enjoy.