Mexico

Birria de Res

Name: Birria de Res
Prep time: 4 h 30 min
Cook time: 4 h 20 min
Total time: 8 h 50 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 lb (1.4 kg) boneless beef chuck, cut into large chunks; 2 lb (900 g) bone-in beef short ribs or shank; 8 dried guajillo chiles (about 2 oz / 55 g); 4 dried ancho chiles (about 2 oz / 55 g); 2 or 3 dried chiles de árbol, for more heat; 1 large white onion, quartered, plus 1/2 onion finely chopped to serve; 6 garlic cloves, peeled; 2 Roma tomatoes; 1/4 cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp salt, plus more to taste; 8 cups (1.9 L) beef stock or water; 3 bay leaves; 1 Mexican cinnamon stick; 16 corn tortillas; 8 oz (225 g) Oaxaca cheese or low-moisture mozzarella, shredded, optional; 1/2 cup (10 g) chopped cilantro; 2 limes, cut into wedges

Birria comes from Jalisco, Mexico, where it was traditionally goat cooked in a pit oven. This beef version, birria de res, uses a Dutch oven and a home stove, which gives very tender meat if not the smoke of a pit. The adobo is the heart of it, a strained chile puree that seasons the meat and then becomes the consomé.

Prep: 4 hr 30 min
Cook: 4 hr 20 min
Total: 8 hr 50 min
Serves: 8

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An illustration of Birria de Res — Birria, illustrated for Tastybop

Ingredients

3 lb (1.4 kg) boneless beef chuck, cut into large chunks
2 lb (900 g) bone-in beef short ribs or shank
8 dried guajillo chiles (about 2 oz / 55 g)
4 dried ancho chiles (about 2 oz / 55 g)
2 or 3 dried chiles de árbol, for more heat
1 large white onion, quartered, plus 1/2 onion finely chopped to serve
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp salt, plus more to taste
8 cups (1.9 L) beef stock or water
3 bay leaves
1 Mexican cinnamon stick
16 corn tortillas
8 oz (225 g) Oaxaca cheese or low-moisture mozzarella, shredded, optional
1/2 cup (10 g) chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into wedges

Instructions

Stem and seed the guajillo, ancho and árbol chiles. Toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20 to 30 seconds per side, until flexible and fragrant but not blackened. Cover with boiling water and soak for 20 minutes.
Char the quartered onion, garlic and tomatoes in the same skillet for about 5 minutes, turning, until blistered in spots.
Drain the chiles and discard the soaking water, which can be bitter. Blend them with the charred vegetables, vinegar, cumin, oregano, cloves, pepper and 1 cup (240 ml) of the stock until completely smooth. Push through a sieve to remove the skins.
Rub the beef with the salt and coat it in half of the adobo. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Refrigerate the remaining adobo.
Put the beef and all its marinade in a large Dutch oven with the remaining adobo, remaining stock, bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Traditional birria is pit-cooked, and this pot is the home method. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook on low for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the meat falls apart with a fork. Check the pot once or twice to make sure it's at a gentle simmer.
Lift out the meat and shred it, discarding the bones. Skim the red fat from the broth into a small bowl and save it for the tortillas. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, then taste the consomé and add salt. Return a ladle of consomé to the shredded meat to keep it moist.
Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Dip a tortilla in the reserved red fat, lay it on the griddle, add some cheese, if using, and a spoonful of beef. Fold and cook for about 2 minutes per side, until crisp and the cheese has melted. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Serve the tacos with small cups of hot consomé for dipping, topped with chopped onion and cilantro, and pass the lime wedges. Refrigerate leftover meat and consomé within 2 hours.

Tips

For traditional birria, use the same weight of bone-in goat, or a mix of goat and lamb. Plan on a similar simmering time, and go by tenderness rather than the clock.
To control the heat, leave out the chiles de árbol. Guajillo and ancho are mild, and removing their seeds keeps the consomé fruity instead of sharp.
A gritty consomé means the adobo wasn't strained well. A fine sieve and some patience fix this, and pressing hard gets the most flavor out of the pulp.

Did you know?

Birria is a rich, slow-cooked stew from the state of Jalisco.
Quesabirria tacos are fried, then dipped in the stew's own broth.
It's traditionally made with goat, though beef is now popular too.

Questions

What meat is birria made of?

Goat is the traditional meat in Jalisco, and lamb is also used. Beef, known as birria de res, is now common and is what many birria taco shops serve.

What is quesabirria?

A birria taco with melted cheese inside, griddled in the red fat from the pot until the tortilla is crisp. It is served with consomé for dipping.

Is birria spicy?

It is usually more deep and earthy than fiery, since guajillo and ancho are mild chiles. The chiles de árbol bring the heat, so add as many or as few as you like.