Birria Tacos with Consommé

About This Recipe

Birria originated as a goat stew in Jalisco, Mexico. Birria de res (beef) became a viral sensation for its spectacular preparation: tortillas are dipped in the red chilli braising liquid, pan-fried until crispy, filled with shredded meat and served alongside the consommé for dipping. Pure comfort food theatre.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.5 kgbeef short ribs or chuck(bone-in preferred)
• 5dried guajillo chillies(stemmed and seeded)
• 3dried ancho chillies
• 2dried chipotle chillies
• 1white onion(quartered)
• 8 clovesgarlic
• 2ripe tomatoes(halved)
• 1 tspcumin seeds
• 1 tspMexican oregano or regular oregano
• 2bay leaves
• 3 cmcinnamon stick
• 4cloves
• 1 litrebeef stock
• 16small corn tortillas
• 200 gOaxaca or mozzarella cheese(shredded)
• 1 bunchfresh cilantro(chopped)
• 1white onion(finely diced)
• 4limes(cut into wedges)

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast and rehydrate dried chillies

   Toast dried chillies in a dry pan 30 seconds per side until fragrant. Soak in boiling water 20 minutes. Drain.

2. 2

   Char the aromatics

   On a dry comal or skillet over high heat, char onion, garlic and tomato until blackened in spots. This adds a smoky depth to the broth.

3. 3

   Blend the adobo

   Blend soaked chillies, charred aromatics, cumin, oregano, cloves, cinnamon with 300ml beef stock until completely smooth. Strain through a fine sieve.

4. 4

   Sear the beef

   Season beef generously with salt. Sear all over in hot oil until deeply browned. Remove to a Dutch oven or deep pot.

5. 5

   Slow-braise

   Pour blended adobo over the beef. Add remaining beef stock and bay leaves. Braise covered at 160°C / 325°F for 3–3.5 hours until meat is fall-apart tender. Skim excess fat but reserve 4 tbsp fat — you'll need it for frying the tortillas.

   The braising liquid becomes the consommé. It should be intensely flavoured — taste and add salt.

6. 6

   Shred the beef

   Remove meat from broth. Shred with forks, discarding bones. Keep consommé warm for dipping.

7. 7

   Fry the birria tacos

   Skim fat from the broth surface into a skillet. Heat over medium-high. Dip each tortilla in the hot consommé (both sides), place in skillet. Top with shredded beef and cheese. Fold in half. Fry 2–3 minutes per side until crispy and cheese is melted.

8. 8

   Serve with consommé

   Serve tacos immediately with a small bowl of hot consommé for dipping, diced white onion, cilantro and lime.

Variations

• •

  Birria quesabirria (quesatacos): add more cheese and let it get extra crispy.

• •

  Slow cooker birria: 8 hours on low instead of oven braising.

• •

  Original goat birria: substitute goat shoulder/legs for beef.

Storage

Birria keeps refrigerated 5 days or frozen 3 months. Store meat and consommé separately.

Frequently Asked Questions