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Birria Tacos
Ingredients
Birria Meat
- 1 lb beef chuck roast
- 5 beef short ribs
- 3-5 ancho chiles depending on desired spiciness
- 5 guajillo chiles
- 1-3 chiles de arbol these are spicy, use less if desired
- 1-2 cinnamon sticks
- 1-3 whole cloves
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 2 tsp whole coriander
- 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
- 1/2 white onion
- 5-8 cloves of garlic
- 1-2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2-3 boxes of Beef Stock depending on how much liquid you like reserved
- 1 tsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce optional
Making of the Tacos
- corn tortillas
- quesadilla cheese or oaxaca cheese
- 1/2 white onion diced
- chopped cilantro
- limes
Instructions
- Begin by prepping the ingredients. First prepare the taco topping of the 1/2 white diced onion and cilantro. Place in a container and set aside. Set aside the other half of the diced onion for the birria. Also smash the garlic. Then deseed the chiles. Lastly, Place meat in a bowl with water and vinegar. Let soak for a few minutes then rinse and pat very dry. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large stock pot, add a bit of oil and let it heat up. Add meat in batches and brown on all sides.
- While browning, in a separate pan add deseeded chiles, coriander, black peppercorn, and cloves and toast until fragrant.
- Separate the chiles from the spices. Add the spices to a cheesecloth along with the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Tie and set aside.
- All meat should be browned by this point and be removed from pan. Add a little fresh oil to the bits of the pan and add the remaining diced onion and smashed garlic.
- Once onions are translucent add tomato paste and mix till melded together. Then add in the beef stock.
- Return beef, chiles, and spice bag to pot. Bring to a simmer and cover and cook for about 1 hour.
- After an hour remove the chiles and onions and add to a blender with a little bit of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (optional for more spice).
- Pour blended mixture back into meat and cover and cook for 1-2 hours or until meat is tender enough to shred with a fork.
- Shred your cheese if needed at this point to prepare for the assembly
Making the Tacos
- Once beef is ready, shred all of it and add a little of the sauce to the meat to keep it moist.
- Then place a griddle near the stock pot full of the sauce. do not add oil to the grill as the sauce has plenty of oils and fats.
- Dip a corn tortilla in the sauce and add to the heated griddle. Top with the cheese and shredded beef and then fold over. Flip and paint on more sauce as needed.
- In a bowl, add the sauce, some of the chopped onion and garlic, and a squeeze of lime. Serve along side tacos with extra onion and cilantro and limes for toppings.
Video
Cravings vs Reality
Let’s be honest, take out is easier. Sometimes cooking is laborious and the quality of the food is just as good as the restaurant you would of called. And the clean up. Let’s not discuss the clean up. This week, I was craving Birria Queso Tacos. There is a fantastic little spot near me that delivers delicious Birria Tacos, but by delivery time they are a little soggy and not as crispy. So, I did some research, got my ingredients, and headed into the kitchen for quite the long cooking process. And for the first time amidst many a recipe, I will say – takeout is EASIER. But nonetheless, the payoff was extremely worth it because my goodness- these were delicious!
Some Notes About the Recipe
Ok, so these chiles were not that easy to find. I live in quite a diverse neighborhood so while the first three supermarkets I went to did not have it, food bazaar did. Food Bazar actually has an excellent international market so if there is one by you I highly recommend a visit. If you cannot find them in you local market, I found these chile bundles that has every chile you need already in it. They will also be posted below.
If you do not have access to oaxaca cheese (pronounced wa-hock-ah) you can swap for quesadilla cheese or even mozzarella. I personally have become so obsessed with oaxaca cheese. It salty and delicious and gives me a little taste of nostalgia from being a kid. When I was little, the corner store was a halal market and they sold this braided cheese with pepper corns in it. My dad used to shred some up in a pita bread for me and this cheese gives me those same vibes.
You can absolutely make the meat in advance, in fact it might even be better the next day because clean up will be easier. If you make it in advance, I suggest heating the meat up in a frying pan and adding some of the consomme (I don’t know if that is the proper spelling) aka the sauce from the meat into the pan while you heat up the shredded beef. Doing so basically rehydrates the beef so it isn’t too dry.
Also, my tortillas kept breaking and if F*ng pissed me off. Next day, I learned that if you heat up your tortillas on the pan for ten seconds or so OR microwave them with a damp paper towel for like 25 seconds, this should prevent them from breaking.
I hope that you give this one a try – or at least order it! Happy cooking!
xo -A
Links
Chile Bundle
