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This classic birria from Jalisco brings bold, cozy flavors right to your place. As the beef cooks low and slow with spicy chiles and warm seasonings, your home fills up with the best smells. Scoop it into bowls to warm up on a chilly night, or fry up crunchy, cheesy tacos with the meat. Either way, your folks will want it again and again.
Delicious Birria Creation
Even though goat is traditional, using beef chuck makes it much simpler and just as tasty. The slow simmer turns the beef buttery-soft and loads it with flavor. It’s super handy since you can eat it right out of a bowl or stuff it in tacos with cheese for those fun taco nights.
Grocery Picks
- Liquids: Grab 4 cups beef broth with less salt, plus 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar to help your beef get nice and tender.
- Spice mix: Use 1 tablespoon oregano (the Mexican kind), 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon cumin, a cinnamon stick, a teaspoon ginger, 2 whole cloves, salt and pepper as you like.
- Fresh flavors: Toss in 4 garlic cloves, a big onion, and 2 juicy tomatoes to blend for the sauce.
- Dried peppers: Snag 3 guajillo, 2 ancho, and 2 arbol chiles—take out seeds and stems first.
- 3-4 lbs beef chuck: You want good marbling and chunks about 2 inches thick for top texture.
How To Make It
- Finish the Dish
- Tear up the beef with two forks once it’s soft, drop it back in the sauce, fish out the bay leaves, stir everything together, and sit tight while the flavors settle in.
- Begin the Slow Cook
- Lay chunks of beef in your slow cooker, pour in the blended sauce, pop in the bay leaves, and gently mix. Cover up and leave on low for around 8 to 9 hours or crank to high for 4 to 5 hours. It’s ready when the beef falls apart easily.
- Create Your Sauce
- Blend the softened chiles with a cup of their hot soaking water. Add your charred onion, tomatoes, garlic, the broth, vinegar, and all your spices (hold out the bay leaves for now). Buzz it until super creamy.
- Char Your Vegetables
- Slide tomatoes, garlic, and onion onto a tray, toss under your broiler for a few minutes until they pick up some tasty blackened spots.
- Start with the Chiles
- Remove seeds from all dried peppers. Gently boil them in water for about 15 minutes ‘til they go floppy and deep red.
Handy Pointers
If you’ve got a dutch oven, that works awesome—just brown the beef first for more oomph. Make your sauce ahead and stash it overnight. Tweak the kick by adding or pulling back on those arbol chiles. If shredding beef seems tough, just let it go longer—it’ll loosen right up eventually.
Ways to Dish It Up
Spoon your birria into bowls, pile on cilantro, diced onion, and squeeze a lime on top. For epic cheesy tacos, dip tortillas in the broth, fill with juicy beef and some cheese, then griddle ‘til crisp. Or pour some over tortilla chips, cover in melty cheese, and hit the couch for game day.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- → What makes three types of chiles special?
Each type brings its own quality—guajillo for sweetness, ancho for smoky depth, and arbol for some spice. Together, they balance the bold birria flavor.
- → Why do the dried chiles need soaking?
Softening the chiles helps in blending them smoothly into a sauce. The liquid from soaking also adds to the flavor.
- → Can I make it less spicy?
Yes, just skip or reduce the arbol chiles. The guajillo and ancho still give the sauce its special richness without the heat.
- → When is the beef ready?
Once you can shred it easily with a fork, it's done. If it's still tough, give it more time. Slow cooking makes everything tender.
- → Why broil the veggies first?
Roasting the garlic, onion, and tomatoes caramelizes them for a more intense flavor. The charring adds depth to the sauce.
Conclusion
This slow-cooked Mexican dish features tender beef, a flavorful chili sauce blend, and warm spices. Perfect for tacos or a classic beef stew, the rich flavors come together effortlessly.