Sear the Beef: Pat the beef chunks dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-based pot over a medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches, ensuring you don't overcrowd the pan, for 3-4 minutes on each side until a deep brown crust forms. Set the seared beef aside.

Toast the Aromatics: In the same pot, reduce the heat to medium. Add the quartered onion, garlic cloves, and halved tomatoes. Cook for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are softened and lightly charred in spots. While they cook, toast the de-seeded dried chillies in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for about 60 seconds per side until they become pliable and fragrant. Be very careful not to let them burn, or they will turn bitter.

Create the Adobo Base: Place the toasted chillies in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak for 20 minutes to rehydrate. In the dry pan you used for the chillies, toast the peppercorns, cumin seeds, cloves, and cinnamon stick for 1-2 minutes until you can smell their aroma.

Blend the Sauce: Transfer the softened onion, garlic, and tomatoes to a blender. Drain the rehydrated chillies (reserving a little of the soaking water) and add them to the blender along with the toasted spices, apple cider vinegar, and about 250ml of the beef stock. Blend until you have a completely smooth, deep red sauce. If it's too thick, add a splash of the reserved chilli water or more stock. I find that a high-powered blender works best here to get a really silky consistency.

Braise the Beef: Pour the blended adobo sauce through a sieve into the pot with the seared beef, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid. This step ensures a smooth consommé later. Add the remaining beef stock and the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it gently bubble away for at least 3 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender.

Prepare for Tacos: Once cooked, carefully remove the beef chunks from the pot and place them in a bowl. Shred the meat using two forks. Skim any excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid (the consommé) and reserve it in a small bowl. Season the consommé with salt to your liking—it should be deeply savoury.

Assemble and Fry: Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Dip a corn tortilla completely into the consommé, then place it in the hot pan. Top one half with a generous amount of shredded beef and a sprinkle of grated cheese. Fold the other half over to create a taco. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, using a little of the reserved beef fat in the pan to help it get extra crispy and golden. The cheese should be gloriously melty.

Serve Immediately: Serve the hot, crispy tacos with a small bowl of the warm consommé for dipping. Garnish with diced white onion, fresh coriander, and a generous squeeze of lime.