We’ve been enjoying this taco-and-mango salsa combo all summer. But now you’re in on the secret too.
Leah: This is the story of when you share a recipe with a friend and she makes it so much better.
Renee: One Yom Tov, I wined and dined my in-laws for 3 days. I slaved over all kinds of desserts and appetizers, yet the one thing they still talk about today is the mango salsa that I plated with the Reserve Cut Tacos from Secret Restaurant Recipes.
Leah: It’s always been everyone’s favorite. There hasn’t been a person who wasn’t excited when we got that “Secret” recipe from Reserve Cut, one of the top kosher restaurants in Manhattan.
Renee: I always felt that this recipe is awesome but the presentation a bit blah. On erev Yom Tov, my friend Rivki S. sent this salsa and nonchalantly suggested I serve it with anything that needs some oomph. Well, making a long story short, the salsa was a hit and my mother-in-law raved about it while I had to pretend I knew exactly how I made it.
Leah: And since the meat freezes so well, it’s really the perfect appetizer to prep ahead. When Renee said, ‘Let’s share it on Between Carpools,’ I said sure. More people should know the secret. And then the day of the shoot came and she pulled this salsa out of nowhere. Reserve Cut should take note. This is the salsa that’s made to go together with these tacos. We sat down during the shoot and ate it on the spot. We didn’t leave one cube behind.
So here you go. That perfect addition to any meal. And the perfect appetizer this Yom Tov.
Disclaimer: We have been eating this over and over all summer long, feeling kind of guilty every time, that we couldn’t yet share the recipe with you. Well, here it is.
- 1 firm mango, diced small
- 1 red pepper, diced small
- 1 orange pepper, diced small
- 1 Granny Smith Apple, diced small (don’t peel)
- 1 small red onion, diced small
- Bunch of parsley, chopped finely
- Mint, chopped finely (optional but highly recommended)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Pinch of hot pepper flakes
- Dash of salt
- The trick here is the small dice. Be patient and put your best knife skills forward. Dont skimp or rush, the size makes all of the difference, for presentation and taste.
- You can use a cut of meat that’s cheaper, but cook it longer (always make sure there’s plenty of liquid in the pan) so it gets super soft.
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5 pounds lean beef short ribs, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup house made barbeque sauce
- 1 cup beef stock
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- Preheat oven to 325ºF.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy, oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, and brown the ribs on all sides, about 5 minutes, working in batches if necessary. Sprinkle ribs with salt and black pepper as they brown. Transfer cooked ribs to paper towels to blot up extra oil.
- Stir in the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Mix in tomato sauce, barbeque sauce, beef stock, apple cider, and mustard; bring the sauce to a boil, and simmer for 1 minute to blend flavors. Stir in the browned ribs.
- Cover the pot, and bake in the preheated oven until the rib meat is very tender, about 2½ hours. Turn the ribs occasionally while cooking.
- Hand shred beef. Season with salt and pepper. Return to a pan with some of the cooking sauce and cook until warm. Stuff into taco shells.
How to Make Your Own Mini Taco Shells from Wonton Wrappers:
There are two ways to fry wonton wrappers so they take the shape of a taco. To get them perfectly shaped like the restaurant, you’ll need to use a taco shell deep fryer basket. A taco shell maker/taco press, which looks like tongs, will also mold a taco into shape as it fries, but you’ll have to fry one by one. You can still make a mini taco shell without any gadgets at all. Heat oil in a saute pan or skillet. Fold the wonton wrapper in half at dip one side into the hot oil. Use a fork to press it down at the bottom. Use tongs to hold the top half in place. Once the bottom becomes stiff and crisp, flip and fry the opposite side.
A Note on What Cut of Meat to Use:
You don’t have to use short ribs to get great pulled beef. To get a greater supply of pulled beef that you can keep in the freezer and pull out anytime, get the best roast you can, i.e. a Brick or French Roast, depending on what your butcher calls their best roast. Cut it into short rib-sized cubes and prepare as instructed above. Your Brick/French roast will shred finely and beautifully.
Hi love those plates and small dishes are they from crate and barrel
The large plate is from crate and barrel. The small is a random one from our studio inventory.
Can you share the best way to make this ahead of time?
1) Freeze the meat whole or shredded?
2) How far in advance can the salsa be made?
3) Do the short ribs have bones in them when you buy them?
1) I freeze the meat shredded. Defrosts so easily and quickly.
3) The original recipe (the 5 lbs) refers to bone-in but we’ve made it with lots of different cuts. Leah has only used boneless ribs, flanken, or French roast cut into chunks. I think Renee uses the original short ribs. I’ve used brisket (2nd cut) and brick roast (I think that’s the same as French roast in some butchers. Of course, if using boneless, you don’t need 5 lbs.
Thanks so much!!
u should make a small presentation how to make the tacos
This has been my go to for the longest time… the lime, the tacos and mango salsa! It’s super easy and delicious!
where in lakewood can I find Kosher certified mint?
You can easily check the mint yourself. We posted this a while back https://betweencarpools.com/veggies-really-kosher/
Wow! This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try. If using a second cut brisket do you cut into cubes to brown?
????poor Renee, she always works so hard and her guests like something she x make (I’m sure that’s not true, she’s an amazing cook and hostess! Lol!)
Yes, you should cut it into cubes. And Renee is an amazing hostess 🙂
I made this a little while back for real picky eaters. One of them saw me cutting the salsa and was like eeew- mango and apple in a salad??
They all wiped their plates clean!! This recipe is a keeper I made it for shavuos again
These are the bomb in my house a must for every occasion! A few pointers:
Totally worth splurging on the right meat, no bones. It’s melt in your mouth tender. I got a cheaper cut once was very disappointing.
I do my Salsa with lime and cilantro instead of lemon and mint/ parsley it’s a knockout!
When plating you can make your own taco stands by cutting a lime in half then cut side down cut a v shape notch to hold the tacos.
Thanks for sharing! Note this is a different salsa than in the cookbook. Worth trying!
Is there a store bought mini taco you can recommend?
Hiya! Looking forward to making this—any substitute for mango? Can I use pineapple? My daughter is extremely allergic!!!
I love using persimmon when in season
Which bbq sauce do you recommend?
If you want that smokey flavor, use a BBQ sauce like Jack Daniels #7. If you want sweeter meat you can use Bone Suckin BBQ sauce.
Thank you!
What is ground mustard?????♀️
You can substitute fresh regular mustard. Won’t make a big difference.
Btw if you buy jack Daniels no 7 that is made with Tennessee whiskey it x have high fructose corn syrup… I hope it tastes good…
How can you make beef stock? Or do you buy it? Hate using those cubes…
You can substitute it with chicken stock.
Thanks for all the tips. I bought the ground mustard in the end.
Is it going to taste the same?
Sorry wasn’t clear. If i substitute chicken stock, will it taste the same?
Hard to tell the difference. Chicken is a little lighter in flavor.
The Vidalia Chop Wizard is an amazing gadget for getting that perfect dice! It’s a real life saver in the kitchen 🙂 Vidalia Chop Wizard https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000I6JZWA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8zZ2zbQWQTEQJ
any ideas how to make these using a sous vide?
never tried
Does the mango salsa freeze?
Or how much in advance can you make it.
Thanks
The mango salsa does not freeze, however, you can prepare it up to 3 days in advance. It will be less crunchy but just as flavorful
Hi! I noticed that you’ve omitted the smoked jalapeños which are in the original recipe in the secret restaurant recipe cookbook. Can I ask why? I’ve never made either recipe but love the ones from reserve cut
We found it difficult to find and it tastes great without it.
Hello,
I’m trying to find the pulled beef taco recipe but I only see the mango salsa recipe on the page. Can you provide me with it?
Just wanted to chime in and say, I must’ve shared this recipe (via the link ofc) to dozens of people since it’s been posted here. It’s a staple every yom Tov- it’s the only meat my kids will eat… I don’t always do it with the salsa, there aren’t always enough eaters here for it. When I do make it, it always enjoyed. Tysm!!
Made this with a thick piece of London broil and it turned out amazing! I cooked it in 325 for about 1.5 hours and then 225 for 3 more hours. So yummy!