Birria Rolls Recipe

Prepare chiles

Remove stems and seeds from guajillo and ancho chiles. Toast chiles lightly in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burnt. Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water; soak 20 minutes until softened. Reserve 1/4 cup soaking liquid.

Make chile sauce

In a blender, combine soaked chiles (drained but include up to 1/4 cup soaking liquid), chipotle in adobo, garlic cloves, half the onion (roughly chopped), tomato (quartered), apple cider vinegar, oregano, cumin, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Blend until smooth, adding a few tablespoons of the reserved beef broth if needed to get a pourable sauce (about 1/4–1/2 cup). Taste and adjust salt.

Sear beef

Pat the chuck roast dry and season with remaining 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high. Sear roast 3–4 minutes per side until well-browned. Remove and set aside.

Braise

Add remaining chopped onion to the pot and sauté 3–4 minutes until translucent. Pour in the blended chile sauce and cook 2 minutes to bloom flavors. Return beef to pot, add bay leaves and beef broth. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for 3–3.5 hours (or place in a 300°F/150°C oven) until beef is fall-apart tender.

Shred

Remove beef to a cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred with two forks. Skim fat from the cooking liquid and skim or strain the liquid into a bowl; reserve 2 cups of consommé for dipping and serving. Mix some of the strained sauce back into shredded beef to keep it moist (about 1/2–1 cup depending on preference). Keep warm.

Taste reserved 2 cups of cooking liquid and adjust seasoning with salt and optional lime juice. Warm gently on the stove until hot for serving as a dip alongside the rolls.

Prepare tortillas

Warm corn tortillas lightly on a dry skillet or comal until pliable (about 20–30 seconds per side). Keep wrapped in a towel to stay warm and pliable.

Fill tortillas

Lay a warm tortilla on a board, sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of shredded Monterey Jack across the center, add about 2–3 tablespoons of shredded birria beef, and top with a few slices of green onion and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro. Fold or roll tightly into a cylinder. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Brown rolls

Heat 2 tbsp butter or oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, place rolls seam-side down and cook 1.5–2 minutes per side until golden and the cheese has melted, pressing gently with a spatula to seal. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Serve

Arrange birria rolls on a platter with lime wedges, extra chopped cilantro and green onions. Serve immediately with hot consommé for dipping. To eat: dip the end of a roll into the consommé before each bite.