After taco de lengua and carnitas, I’m taking on birria—one of Charles and Rick’s favorites from Tacos El Patron in SF—in preparation for another upcoming taco fiesta. Rich, flavorful, and deeply satisfying, this dish is slow-cooked perfection wrapped in crispy, cheesy tortillas.
Ingredients
- 2lb beef chuck roast or boneless beef shank
- beef bone (for beef broth)
- vegetable oil (or rendered beef fat)
- 7 ancho chiles
- 7 guajillo chiles
- 3 chiles de arbol
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 tomatoes or a few roma/cherry tomatoes
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp dried (Mexican) oregano
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 4 cloves
- 1/2 (Mexican) cinnamon stick
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (can substitute with lemon/lime juice, white vinegar or rice vinegar)
- Salt to taste
- Corn tortillas
- Melty Mexican cheese (like queso fresco or Oaxaca)
- Optional toppings: diced onions, chopped cilantro, avocado, salsa verde, hot sauce
Instructions
- Step 1: Cut the beef into large chunks, trim excess fat, season generously with salt, and refrigerate overnight to marinate
- Step 2: Boil the beef bones for 5 minutes to remove scum, then discard the water
- Step 3: Remove stems and seeds from the chiles. Toast them in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer briefly to reduce bitterness. Drain and set aside before adding back into the beef stew
- Step 4: Dice 1 yellow onion, 6 cloves of garlic, and tomatoes
- Step 5: Place all whole spices (peppercorns, oregano, cumin, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves) in a spice bag for easy removal later to blend into a sauce
- Step 6: In a large pot, heat up vegetable oil over high heat or render beef fat over medium heat. Animal fat is where most of the meat flavor comes from! Sear all sides of the beef until browned, then remove from the pot
- Step 7: In the same pot, sauté onions and garlic until golden and caramelized. Add ketchup and stir well. Toss in the diced tomatoes and cook until softened
- Step 8: Add the seared beef, softened chiles, cinnamon stick, beef bone, and enough water to cover everything. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium heat, and simmer for 30 minutes
- Step 9: Remove the softened chiles, tomatoes, onions, and the spices from the bag. Blend in a blender or food processor with a few cups of broth and apple cider vinegar until smooth. Optional to sieve for a silkier sauce before returning the blended sauce to the pot
- Step 10: Season with salt to taste. Simmer on low to medium heat for 3 hours until the birria meat is fall-apart tender; skim excessive fat as needed
- Step 11: Remove birria meat from the pot and shred into small pieces with a fork
- Step 12: Dip corn tortillas in the birria broth and heat each side in a non-stick pan for ~30 sec. Sprinkle with melty, Mexican cheese (e.g., queso fresco or Oaxacan) all over corn tortilla
- Step 13: Fill with the shredded birria and top with onions, cilantro, or other toppings of your choice. Fold the tortilla, sear until the tortilla is crispy and cheese is melty. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
- Step 14: Serve birria taco with any additional toppings such as salsa verde, hot sauce, avocado, and a bowl of the rich birria broth for dipping!
References
- A cozy kitchen’s recipe: https://www.acozykitchen.com/birria-tacos
- Feasting at home’s recipe: https://www.feastingathome.com/birria-recipe/
- Mexican’s chiles: An Introduction to Mexican Chiles
