Beef Birria Tacos (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Birria
01 -
2 lbs beef short ribs or chuck roast, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 -
2 dried ancho chilies
03 -
2 dried guajillo chilies
04 -
1 medium onion, cut into quarters
05 -
1 dried pasilla chili (optional)
06 -
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
07 -
1 tablespoon dried oregano
08 -
1 tablespoon of cumin seeds
09 -
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
10 -
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 -
1 dried bay leaf
12 -
14 oz can of diced tomatoes
13 -
4 cups of water or beef broth
14 -
Vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons
15 -
Salt and pepper as needed
16 -
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
17 -
1 tablespoon vinegar (apple cider or white)
→ Birria Tacos
18 -
12 small tortillas (corn or flour, your choice)
19 -
Shredded beef from birria preparation
20 -
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
21 -
1/2 cup diced onions
22 -
Lime wedges
23 -
Optional: Oaxaca cheese or queso fresco
24 -
Optional: Hot sauce
# Instructions:
01 -
Slice off the stems and shake out the seeds from guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chilies. Put a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the chilies for 30 seconds to a minute until you smell the aroma. Move the toasted chilies to a bowl and pour hot water over them to soak for 15-20 minutes. This softens them up for blending.
02 -
Toss the rehydrated chilies in a blender along with the onion chunks, garlic, cumin, oregano, ground cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, and diced tomatoes. If you need to loosen the mixture, just pour in a bit of the chili-soaking liquid. Blend it all together till it's completely smooth.
03 -
Heat up a Dutch oven or large heavy-duty pot on medium-high heat with some vegetable oil. While it heats, sprinkle the beef chunks with salt and pepper. Drop the beef in and sear until golden brown on all sides, which takes 5 to 7 minutes. Pull the beef out and leave it aside for now.
04 -
Using the same pot, stir the blended chili paste in and let it cook for around 5 minutes, moving it around often. Put your seared beef back in, add beef broth, vinegar, and lime juice, and let it come to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and let the dish slowly simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours. The beef should be soft and easy to shred.
05 -
Take the cooked beef out of the pot and shred it using two forks. If you're using short ribs, remove any bones. Once shredded, return the meat to the broth in the pot and stir it to combine. Taste and add more salt or pepper if you need to.
06 -
Warm up a skillet on medium-high heat. Briefly dip a tortilla into the birria broth so it gets coated, then toss it in the hot skillet. Cook it for 1-2 minutes per side until slightly crispy. Put shredded beef on top, add cheese if you're using it, and fold the tortilla. Give it another minute in the skillet to make it crispy and help melt the cheese, if added.
07 -
Dish out the tacos with chopped onions, cilantro, and lime wedges on the side. For extra flair, serve a small bowl of the birria broth as a dip (consomé). Spicy food fan? Add some hot sauce!