Thai Birria Tacos

INGREDIENTS

• 5 pounds beef chuck

• 5 cloves garlic

• 2 guajillo chiles

• 2 roma tomatoes

• 2 cloves star anise

• 1 quart beef stock

• 1/4 cup Monin Coconut Syrup

• 1 inch ginger, sliced

• 1 white onion, chopped

• 2 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste

• Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. In a large roasting pan, add all the ingredients except the chuck and mix until well combined.

3. Add in the chuck and bring the entire pan up to a boil.

4. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and place in the oven to bake for 2 hours.

5. After 2 hours, remove the aluminum foil and continue to cook for an additional hour.

6. Remove the pan from the oven and remove the chuck from the braising liquid along with the star anise.

7. Discard the star anise and shred the beef and season to taste.

8. Add the braising liquid along with all the solids to a blender and blend on high until completely smooth.

9. Season the blend to taste and reserve for dipping tacos.

10. Serve immediately or store the meat and liquid separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

Ube Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 5 eggs

• 1 cup Monin® Ube Syrup

• 1 1/4 cups coconut cream, unsweetened

• 3 3/4 cups cake flour

• 1 Tbsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prep three 9-inch cake rounds by liberally spraying with cooking oil.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together until well combined.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes), scraping the sides every 30 seconds.

4. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add in the eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated.

5. Add in the syrup and coconut cream and mix until fully incorporated.

6. Add in the mixed dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

7. Evenly distribute the batter between the three prepped cake rounds and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick can come out clean when inserted into the center of each cake.

8. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to completely cool to room temperature, then plastic wrap each cake individually and store in the refrigerator for future decorating.

Ube Lemon Bars

INGREDIENTS

Shortbread Crust:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 2 cups and 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Lemon Filling:

• 1 cup Monin® Ube Syrup

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 6 large eggs

• 1 cup lemon juice

Drizzle:

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1/3 cup Monin® Ube Syrup

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9x13 glass baking pan with cooking spray.

2. To make the crust, mix melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Add the flour and stir to completely combine until a thick dough is formed. Press firmly into the greased pan until covered and even.

3. Bake for 20-22 minutes until the edges are lightly brown. Remove from the oven, poke holes in the cake, and allow to cool completely.

4. For the filling, sift sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, then the lemon juice till fully incorporated.

5. Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 22-26 minutes or until the center is set and has a slight jiggle in the center.

6. When finished baking, allow the bars to cool to room temperature and then place in the fridge for 1-2 hours until chilled.

7. In a mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar with the syrup until well combined

8. Cut into squares and drizzle the Ube drizzle on top as desired and serve.