Birria Tacos
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
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Prep Time:30 Minutes
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Cook Time:PT2H30M2 Hr
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Yield:6 Servings
Ingredients
- 3 dried guajillo chiles
- 2 dried ancho chiles
- 1 dried chile de arbol
- 3 ½ pounds chuck roast, cut into 6 pieces
- Salt and Pepper
- Cooking oil
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into thirds
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 Roma tomatoes, quartered
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Garnishes:
- Tortillas
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Diced white onion
- Shredded Oaxaca or Jack cheese, optional
- 3 dried guajillo chiles
- 2 dried ancho chiles
- 1 dried chile de arbol
- 1587.57g chuck roast, cut into 6 pieces
- Salt and Pepper
- Cooking oil
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into thirds
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 Roma tomatoes, quartered
- 8.52g cumin
- 4.26g oregano
- 946.35ml beef broth
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 12.78g apple cider vinegar
- Garnishes:
- Tortillas
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Diced white onion
- Shredded Oaxaca or Jack cheese, optional
Birria meat is tender and flavorful, but what really sets these tacos apart is the consommé for dipping. Your rich seasoned cooking broth becomes a taco dip. You will not want to waste a drop!
Preparation
STEP 1
Remove stems and seeds from dried chiles. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Toast chiles until they start to brown. Transfer toasted chiles to a bowl and just cover with boiling water to soften. Return pan to heat.
STEP 2
Season chuck roast pieces with salt and pepper. Lightly oil Dutch oven. Sear meat on all sides until nicely browned.
STEP 3
Meanwhile, once chiles are softened (about 5-10 minutes) transfer to a blender with some of their soaking liquid. Puree until smooth.
STEP 4
Add onion, carrot, tomato, cumin, and oregano to pan with browned meat. Stir to combine. Add beef broth, vinegar, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and chile puree. Bring to light boil.
STEP 5
Place lid on Dutch oven and turn heat to a low simmer. Braise for about 2 hours until meat becomes tender and begins to shred. During cooking occasionally skim fat off top of pan and reserve for making optional birriadillas later.
STEP 6
Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick and discard. Remove meat and shred. Taste and adjust broth seasoning if needed with salt, cilantro, and lime juice.
STEP 7
Coat shredded meat in some of your cooking liquid and build tacos with toasted tortillas, chopped cilantro, and diced white onion. Serve with lime wedges and your cooking liquid for dipping, known as consommé de birria. Or, dip tortillas in reserved fat. In cast iron skillet or griddle build birriadillas by adding shredded meat, shredded cheese, cilantro, and onions. Cook until toasty and cheese melty. Serve with consommé for dipping.
Options
Thick cut short ribs also work well for this recipe. Or a combination of chuck roast and short ribs.
Optional step if you prefer a smoother liquid. After removing meat from pan, using an immersion blender directly in pot blend liquid to break up the veggies. Be careful because liquid will be hot. (You can also transfer veggies with some liquid to traditional blender for this step as well). Liquid does not need to be perfectly smooth.