An Inspired Cook

If these flautas look familiar it’s because they are very similar to my Barbacoa Taquitos.  The difference between flautas and taquitos are the type of tortillas.  Flautas are made with flour tortillas where as taquitos are made with corn tortillas.  Corn tortillas are my first love but sometimes I make flautas to please my hubby.  The thing about making flautas is cooking the tortilla to that perfect crispness.  If overcooked they will be overly crunchy and taste like a cracker.  And the filling should be somewhat dry so that the tortilla won’t become soggy.  I went back to an old favorite, a seasoned slow cooked chuck roast flavored with Frontera’s Barbacoa sauce.  Chile de Arbol salsa and Molcajete Guacamole are the perfect condiments to dip your flautas in. Enjoy!





I have a 2 1/2 pound Chuck tip roast, a blend of chiles and seasonings plus 1 sauce packet of Frontera Barbacoa slow cook sauce.




Mix the spices together and rub over all sides of the roast.  Place the roast in a hot dutch oven drizzled with olive oil.




Sear the roast on all sides.




Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the roast.




Pour the contents of the Frontera Barbacoa sauce packet over the top of the roast.  Bring to a simmer.  Place the lid on top and cook on the lowest setting for 4 – 5 hours turning the roast every 30 minutes.




When the roast begins to easily pull apart you know it’s done.




Retrieve the roast from the juices, setting aside a cup just in case the meat is too dry.  Shred the beef with 2 forks.




My favorite cheese for taquitos or flautas.  Grate the Oaxaca cheese and set aside until you are ready to roll the flautas.




Heat a skillet and drizzle olive oil over a 6 inch flour tortilla.  Pan fry for just a few second on each side.  Set aside in a tortilla warmer but do not blot the oil, this will help the tortillas to crisp in the oven when baked.




Line a baking tray with aluminum foil to assemble and prepare the flautas.




Add approximately 2 heaping tablespoons of filling to the center of the tortilla.  Add some grated Oaxaca cheese and begin to roll the tortilla around the filling.




Secure with a toothpick and place on the baking sheet.




When you have them all rolled and assembled on the baking tray, place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for approximately 8 minutes.  Take the pans out of the oven and remove the toothpicks.  Turn the flautas over and bake another 5- 6 minutes or until they are crisp.




Serve hot with guacamole and Chile de Arbol salsa!




Barbacoa Flautas

2 1/2 pound Chuck Roast
1 package Frontera’s Barbacoa Slow Cook Sauce
1 1/2 cups Water
2 cups Oaxaca Cheese, grated
2 teaspoons Ancho Chile, ground
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Espresso Powder
30 – 36 (6 inch) Flour Tortillas
Olive Oil
Guacamole
Chile de Arbol Salsa

Combine salt and spices in a small bowl.  Sprinkle over both sides of chuck roast and drizzle with olive oil.  Sear roast in a preheated dutch oven.  Turn to sear all sides.  Add water and barbacoa sauce over top of the roast.  Bring to a simmer and cover with a lid.  Turn the heat down to low and cook 4 – 5 hours turning every 30 minutes or so.  The roast will easily pull apart when done.  Remove roast and pull apart with 2 forks.  If the meat is too dry add a spoonful of remaining sauce to the pulled beef.  **You want the meat to be somewhat dry, if too moist it will soak through the tortilla.

Heat a small skillet with a drizzle of olive oil.  Pan fry the tortillas one at a time adding a drizzle of olive oil before adding each one.  Heat for just a few seconds on each side, allowing them to absorb some of the oil.  Set aside in a tortilla warmer but do not pat dry.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lay a tortilla flat and add approximately 2 heaping tablespoons of filling to the center of the tortilla.  Add a little grated cheese and begin rolling the tortilla around the filling.  Secure with a toothpick.  When all the flautas have been assembled and rolled, drizzle the entire tray with olive oil and place in the oven for 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and remove the toothpicks.  Turn the flautas over and bake an additional 5 – 6 minutes or until the flautas are crisp.

Serve hot with guacamole and salsa.

Makes 30 – 36 Flautas

** Flautas may be frozen.  To reheat, thaw and bake at 350 degrees for 5 – 7 minutes.