Birria Recipe

Toast and rehydrate chilies

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chilies 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned. Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water; soak 20 minutes to soften. Reserve soaking liquid.

Prepare meat

Trim excess fat from the beef chuck and short ribs. Season all sides generously with kosher salt and black pepper.

Make chile-tomato puree

Drain chilies (reserve 1/2 cup soaking liquid). In a blender, combine softened chilies, quartered tomato, half the chopped onion (from the birria section), garlic cloves, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and whole cloves. Add 1/4–1/2 cup reserved soaking liquid as needed and blend until very smooth, scraping down sides. Taste and adjust salt if desired.

Brown the meat

Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown beef pieces in batches 3–4 minutes per side until deeply caramelized. Transfer meat to a plate.

Sauté aromatics

Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining chopped onion to the pot and cook 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the chile-tomato puree and cook, stirring, 3–4 minutes to bloom flavors and reduce raw edge.

Braise

Return browned meat to the pot. Add beef broth (about 6 cups), apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, and any reserved chile soaking liquid (up to 1/2 cup). Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently for 2.5–3 hours until meat is fork-tender and shreds easily. Alternatively, braise in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 3–3.5 hours.

Shred meat

Remove meat to a cutting board; discard bones and bay leaves. Use two forks to shred meat into bite-size pieces. Skim fat from top of pot if desired and reserve braising liquid for the consomé.

Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan, pressing on solids to extract flavor. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. If the consomé is too concentrated, add up to 1 cup additional broth or water and gently simmer 10–15 minutes to meld. Keep warm. Optionally finish with a squeeze of fresh lime when serving.

Heat tortillas and prepare cheese

Warm a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lightly brush tortillas with vegetable oil on one side. Sprinkle shredded cheese on the un-oiled side of half of the tortillas and top with a second tortilla, oil side out, to create tortilla 'sandwiches' with cheese inside (or fold single tortilla with cheese and meat).

Pan-fry quesatacos

Add 1 tbs oil to the preheated skillet. Fry assembled tortillas 1.5–2 minutes per side until cheese is melted and tortillas are crisp and golden. If desired, dip each finished tortilla briefly into warm consomé before or after frying for extra flavor and color (traditional birria tacos are often dipped and then crisped).

Assemble

Fill each cheesy tortilla with shredded birria meat. Top with finely chopped onion and cilantro. Serve with warm consomé on the side for dipping and lime wedges, radishes, or pickled jalapeños as garnish.