I realize that the above picture looks remarkably like chicken tacos, but I want you all to forget about the taco aspect for a moment or two.
For each of your basic mexican dishes, be they tacos, burritos or what not, there’s a meat as a base. Make a decent meat base, and you can have several different meals over the course of several days. Pollo Deshebrado is the basic recipe for chicken designed for those of us who want to have chicken tacos one night, and the perhaps chicken enchiladas the next.
As with any poaching, the ingredients may change from one cooking to the next. Poaching the chicken in the chicken broth is the key aspect to remember. Adding various herbs and/or spices should be left to your own taste.
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 sprig of oregano
- 3 sprigs of cilantro
- 2 chili peppers, sliced and NOT seeded
- 4 chicken breasts, each cut into four separate pieces
Place a stockpot or Dutch oven over low heat. Add the broth, oregano, cilantro, and peppers to the pot. Add the chicken and bring the broth to a simmer (185 degrees F). Cook for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and allow the chicken to cool within the broth, approximately 30 minutes. Separate the chicken from the broth and pull the meat off of the bone. Shred the meat and/or pull apart.
To use the chicken, heat up the needed amount in a skillet or even a microwave.
