Cola-Braised Beef With Chile-Lime Onions

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Season the beef all over with salt and pepper (about 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 2 teaspoons fine sea salt). You can season the meat up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate uncovered.

2. Step 2

   Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering. Brown the meat on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat.

3. Step 3

   Prop the meat up on one side of the pot, then add the tomato paste to the empty space and stir until a shade darker, about 1 minute. Add the cola, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and coriander seeds and scrape the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Return the meat to the center of the pot, cover and bake for 2 hours. Uncover, spoon some of the liquid over the beef, then bake uncovered until the meat shreds with a fork, another 1 to 1 ½ hours.

4. Step 4

   Meanwhile, zest 1 lime into a medium resealable container. Cut the limes into wedges and squeeze one wedge into the container. Add the onion, habanero and a big pinch of salt. Cover and shake to combine. Refrigerate the onions and lime wedges until ready to serve (up to 1 day).

5. Step 5

   Let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes, then pull with 2 forks into big shreds. Stir to coat in the sauce and season to taste with salt. Serve with the onions, cilantro, lime wedges and tortillas, rice or burger buns.