We hardly need an excuse to host a taco party. This style of casual entertaining proves as welcome in our home as summertime grilling. Cinco de Mayo, a date in Mexico that marks the victory over France in the Battle of Puebla, serves as an excuse for culinary celebrations in this country.

This year, May 5 falls on a Tuesday, so we will make our main course a few days in advance for easy reheating. Beef chuck roast fits the bill — while it takes a long time to simmer to tenderness, it tastes even better the next day when seasoned with dried red chiles and spices.

Choose bone-in or boneless beef chuck roast for the recipe that follows. Resist the urge to trim away the fat — it’ll add flavor to the final dish and can be skimmed off later. If desired, cut the roast into large chunks for easy turning during the cooking. Season the beef at least 30 minutes, or up to two days, before cooking.

Browning the roast, or those chunks, adds depth of flavor, so allow time for this step. A splatter guard will help minimize any mess.

Once the meat is richly browned, choose the red chiles. When available, supple dried chile pods yield an unrivaled velvety texture. Simply remove the stems and seeds from the pods, soak them in hot water for 20 minutes, and drain. Puree smooth, adding a bit of water to help the chiles move through the blades. Push the mixture through a metal sieve into a bowl. The chile purees can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or more, or in the freezer for several months. Generally, substitute two times the amount of chile puree for chile powder.

For convenience, powdered chile cannot be beat. Whenever possible, purchase ground chiles from stores with high turnover to ensure freshness. The powders should be brightly colored, not faded. Excellent dried chile powders can be ordered from www.spicehouse.com or www.burlapandbarrel.com. Always start with the minimum quantity of chile and add more as your spice tolerance dictates.

Canned smoked chipotle chiles in adobo are a great condiment to have on hand year-round. Since it’s unlikely you’ll use a whole can, transfer the contents of the open can to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. The chiles will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.

Dried avocado leaves, sold in packets in the spice section of Mexican markets, impart a subtle licorice flavor to the beef. They are also delicious when added to a simmering pot of black beans. Substitutes include fresh bay leaves or a rib of fresh fennel.

Serve the beef, pulled into large shreds, in warm tortillas with garnishes. Simple chopped red onion and cilantro taste great. Or add some chopped colorful tomatoes and fresh lime juice to the mixture or a speedy fresh salsa. White rice makes a hearty accompaniment.

Guacamole makes every occasion festive. The only trick is to allow plenty of time for the fruit to ripen on the counter. Once the avocados feel slightly tender when pressed, they can be refrigerated for a couple of days. For the simplest guacamole, mash ripe avocados with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt. Or, pull out all the stops and add roasted green chile and sweet corn.

For nonalcoholic beverages, brew strong hibiscus tea, such as Red Zinger, and sweeten it lightly while still hot. Chill the tea and serve it with a generous splash of sparkling water and fresh lime juice.

Red Chile Beef

Makes 8 to 10 servings

4 to 5 pounds boneless beef chuck roast

Salt, freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup pure ancho chile powder, about 1 ounce (or 1/2 cup pureed ancho chiles)

2 tablespoons guajillo powder, about 0.5 ounces or chili powder (or ¼ cup pureed guajillo chiles)

1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo (or 1 teaspoon smoked paprika for a milder dish)

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, finely crumbled, or 3/4 teaspoon Italian oregano

1/2 teaspoon each, ground: allspice, cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil for high-heat cooking, such as avocado oil, safflower oil or grapeseed oil

2 medium-sized white onions, quartered, thinly sliced

4 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained

2 to 3 cups beef broth or water

3 to 4 dried Mexican avocado leaves or 6 bay leaves or 1 rib fresh fennel

For serving:

16 to 24 small corn or flour tortillas, warmed

Finely chopped red onion, well rinsed, for serving

Chopped fresh cilantro

1. Pat beef dry. Season generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, loosely covered, up to two days. Or, let rest on the counter for up to 30 minutes.

2. Mix chile powders (or purees), oregano, allspice and cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

3. Heat oil in large (5- to 7-quart) Dutch oven over medium heat. Add beef in a single uncrowded layer. Cook, without turning, until richly browned, about 8 minutes. Flip and brown the other side, about 5 minutes more. Remove browned beef to a plate.

4. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Add onions to pan. Cook and stir, scraping up the browned bits from bottom of the pan, until onions are golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in chile and spice mixture. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, 2 cups of the broth and avocado leaves.

5. Nestle beef into the pan. Add a little more broth or water so beef is mostly submerged. Set the lid in place and put into the oven. Cook, turning meat once or twice, for 1 1/2 hours. Check the liquid in the pan adding a little more water if needed. Continue cooking, checking liquid occasionally, until the beef is fall-apart tender, about 1 hour more.

6. Let the beef cool in the pan until you can handle it. (The mixture can be refrigerated covered for several days. Discard solidified fat before reheating over low heat.) Transfer beef to a cutting board and use a knife and fork to pull the meat into rough shreds. Skim any excess fat from the pan juices. Return meat shreds to the pan juices. Season to taste with salt.

7. Serve in warm tortillas topped with red onion and cilantro.

Deluxe Corn and Green Chile Guacamole

Makes 8 to 10 servings

2 small Anaheim chiles or poblano peppers

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as avocado oil or safflower oil

1 medium-sized white onion, halved, thinly sliced

1 cup sweet corn kernels, thawed if frozen

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

4 large ripe avocadoes

Juice of 1/2 of a lime

1/2 teaspoon red pepper hot sauce

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Tortilla chips, for serving

1. Cut chiles in half. Remove seeds and core. Cut into sticks about two inches long and 1/4 inch wide. Cut into small dice.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet until hot. Add onion. Cook and stir until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in prepared chiles. Cook and stir until chiles are fork-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in corn and garlic; cook and stir to heat through, about 2 minutes. Stir in oregano, thyme and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Remove from heat and let cool. (Mixture can be made up to two days in advance, covered and refrigerated. Use at room temperature.)

3. Cut avocadoes in half and remove pits. Use a spoon to scoop flesh into a large bowl. Use a large fork or old-fashioned potato masher to roughly crush the avocado. Add lime juice, hot sauce and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Gently stir in corn mixture and cilantro. Mix to incorporate all ingredients into the avocado. Refrigerate covered with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole for up to 1 hour.

4. Serve with tortilla chips.

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)

©2026 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.