Slow Cooker Mexican Style Meat

This recipe can be used with chicken, beef, pork and even venison. It freezes well, and can be made into burritos, tacos, or any number of other Mexican-style dishes. This dish uses a lot of spice, so please be sure to adjust to your taste.

Ingredients:
 1 (4 pound) chuck roast
 1 teaspoon salt
 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
 2 tablespoons olive oil
 1 large onion, chopped
 1 1/4 cups diced green chile pepper
 1 teaspoon chili powder
 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
 1 (5 ounce) bottle hot pepper sauce
 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
Trim the roast of any excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the beef in the hot skillet, and brown it quickly on all sides.
Transfer the roast to a slow cooker and top it with the chopped onion. Season with chile peppers, chili powder, cayenne pepper, hot pepper sauce, and garlic powder. Add enough water to cover 1/3 of the roast.
Cover, and cook on High for 6 hours, checking to make sure there is always at least a small amount of liquid in the bottom of the cooker. Reduce heat to Low, and continue cooking for 2 to 4 hours, or until meat is totally tender and falls apart.
Transfer the roast to a bowl and shred it using two forks (reserve 2 cups of cooking liquid, if desired). Serve in tacos or burritos (see Notes).

Notes:
If using the meat for burritos: shred the meat and add it to a frying pan with 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.
To freeze the meat, transfer it to a freezer-proof container and add reserved 2 cups of cooking liquid. Freeze up to 6 months; thaw in refrigerator or microwave.
This recipe also works for pork and chicken. If you're using chicken, remove the skin before cooking and reduce the cooking time to 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low. Remove the bones and shred the meat after cooking.