Birria Recipe

Toast the dried chilies briefly: heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add guajillo and ancho chilies and toast 20–30 seconds per side until aromatic but not burned. Remove from heat.

Rehydrate chilies: place toasted chilies and árbol chilies (if using) in a bowl and cover with 2 cups of hot water. Let soak 15–20 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a small dry skillet toast the whole cloves for 30 seconds. Grind toasted cloves with ground cumin, oregano, and cinnamon using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle until a fine powder forms. Set aside.

Make chile purée: drain most of the soaking liquid into a measuring cup, reserving about 1/2 cup of it. Transfer softened chilies, reserved 1/2 cup soaking liquid, toasted spice powder, and half of the peeled garlic cloves and half the onion (roughly chopped), plus the tomato (quartered) into a blender. Blend until very smooth, adding additional soaking liquid a tablespoon at a time if needed to reach a pourable consistency.

Season the beef: pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels and rub with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Sear meat (optional for deeper flavor): heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat. Sear beef 3–4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Transfer meat to a plate.

Combine liquids and aromatics: pour the chile purée over the seared beef in the Dutch oven. Add beef broth, orange juice, white vinegar, remaining onion (roughly chopped), remaining garlic cloves (smashed), and bay leaves. Stir gently to combine. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and any remaining black pepper if desired.

Slow-cook: bring mixture to a gentle simmer on the stovetop, then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer gently for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and shreds easily. Alternatively, cover and transfer to a 300°F (150°C) oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or cook in a slow cooker on low for 7–8 hours.

Skim fat and adjust seasoning: remove beef and place on a cutting board. Skim excess fat from the cooking liquid with a spoon. Taste the cooking broth and adjust salt, adding up to 1/2 teaspoon more if needed.

Shred the beef: using two forks, shred the beef into bite-sized pieces. Return shredded beef to the pot with the broth to keep moist and allow it to absorb flavors for 10–15 minutes on low heat.

Prepare garnishes and tortillas: while the beef rests in the broth, warm the corn tortillas on a dry skillet or comal over medium-high heat 30–45 seconds per side until pliable, or wrap in foil and heat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 minutes. Chop cilantro and dice onion.

Assemble birria tacos (optional): ladle some shredded beef with a little broth onto a warmed tortilla, top with a sprinkle of diced onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Serve as birria with consommé: transfer some of the strained cooking broth (consommé) to small bowls. Serve shredded beef alongside tortillas, chopped onion, cilantro, and lime wedges so diners can dip tacos into consommé or spoon it over the meat.

Storage: cool remaining birria to room temperature, then refrigerate in an airtight container with broth for up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.