Mexican Beef and Rice

For this recipe we have used a slow cooked beef blade roast, because a slow cooker is your best friend for quick and easy nights so you’re not cooking in witching hour, and slow cooked meats are tender and soft for BLW, however we have also provided you with the option of swapping to a mince for a quicker meal which you can also bulk up with black beans for extra value.

Mexican is a great cuisine for families because it really lends itself to platter style meals, where your little one can have a choice of what sides they would like to add, this means lots of exposure to different foods, which is really important in these formative years! This meat and rice dish costs around $30 to make to feed your family of 5 with enough leftovers for the next day, whatever sides you choose to add will be extra, which makes the meat and rice around $4 a serve. However if you use the mince option, it will be around $20 total.

We have shown here how you can incorporate this meal for puree, BLW, toddler and adult. For this particular setting we have paired the Mexican meat with 1 cob of corn, 1 large carrot (grated), 1 avocado (mashed), 1 cup of cheese (grated), 2 tomatoes (chopped), greek yoghurt and 2 cups of rice (cooked in bone broth).

You can also serve this meat with wraps for burritos, taco shells, nacho chips or quinoa!

For the puree you can puree the meat and juices with the avocado, corn, rice and greek yoghurt (if tolerated), or whatever vegetables you like.

Mexican Beef and Rice

• 1 – 1.5 kg beef blade roast (or any joint suitable to slow cooking like chuck. Or swap for 1kg grass-fed beef mince.)
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 onion (diced)
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 TBSP ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 cups water or bone broth
• 1.5 cups rice (plus 2 cups water)

1. If using your oven, preheat it to 170*C. Heat a casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid over high, or set your slow cooker on the sear function. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and brown the roast on all sides. Remove and set aside.

2. Add the remaining olive oil, along with the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until they’re just beginning to brown, then add the garlic and spices. Cook for another minute, then add the water. Give it a good stir and then add the beef. Cook for 3-4 hours over low heat or until tender enough to shred.

3. 15 minutes before the beef is ready, add 1.5 cups of rice and 2 cups of water or bone broth to a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer (lid on) until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is fluffy.

4. Pull the beef apart, leaving some larger pieces for finger foods if needed. Purée some beef with a splash of the cooking liquid or more water for spoon feeding. Serve with all of your favourite accompaniments (see notes).

To speed this dish up, you can cut the roast into large chunks. Otherwise, replace with mince and simmer it in a skillet over medium heat for about 30 minutes.

If using mince you can also add 1 tin of drained and rinsed black beans (400g) to the mixture to bulk it up which makes the dish more economical and adds some iron from the black beans.

Serve with mashed avo, corn on the cob, greek yoghurt, sauerkraut, grated cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, coriander and grated carrot. But choose whatever sides you like and have in the fridge! You can also eat with wraps or nachos. 

1 meal a day, 2 meals a day, 3 meals a day, Baby Led Weaning, BLW, Family Meals, Main Course, puree