Birria Quesadilla Recipe
Make Birria Quesadilla Recipe in just 3h 30m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Birria (stewed beef)
Quesadillas & assembly
Method
Birria (stewed beef)
- 1
Prepare and toast chilies
Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add guajillo, ancho and pasilla chilies and toast 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burnt. Remove and set aside. Tear each chili open and discard stems and seeds (adjust seeds to taste).
- 2
Rehydrate chilies
Place toasted chilies in a bowl and cover with 1 cup of very hot water. Let sit 15 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking liquid.
- 3
Make sauce
In a blender add softened chilies (drain most of the soaking liquid but keep 2–3 tbs of it), quartered onion, garlic, tomato, apple cider vinegar, dried oregano, ground cumin, ground cloves, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Blend until very smooth, adding up to 1/2 cup of the reserved soaking liquid or water to reach a pourable sauce consistency.
- 4
Sear beef
Pat the chuck roast dry and season with remaining 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Heat 1 tbs vegetable oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the roast 3–4 minutes per side until browned. Remove roast and set aside.
- 5
Braise
Lower heat to medium. Pour the blended chili-tomato sauce into the pot and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring, to bloom the flavors. Add the seared roast back to the pot, pour in beef broth, add bay leaves, and scrape up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently 2 to 2 1/2 hours until beef is fork-tender and shreds easily. Alternatively: cook in a 300°F (150°C) oven covered 2–2.5 hours or in a slow cooker on low 6–8 hours.
- 6
Shred and reduce
Remove beef and shred with two forks. Skim any excess fat from the braising liquid. Simmer the braising liquid uncovered 8–12 minutes to concentrate the flavors and slightly thicken; taste and adjust salt. Add shredded beef back to the reduced sauce and toss so meat is well coated. Reserve 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the braising sauce (consomé) for dipping.
Quesadillas & assembly
- 7
Warm tortillas and preheat
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Keep tortillas warm wrapped in a clean towel or in a low oven (200°F/95°C) until ready.
- 8
Assemble quesadillas
Lay one tortilla flat. Sprinkle a thin, even layer (about 1/3 cup) of shredded cheese over half of the tortilla. Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of shredded birria (meat with a little sauce) on top of the cheese, then add a small sprinkling of chopped onion and cilantro if using. Top with another 1/4 cup of cheese (this helps the top tortilla stick) and fold the tortilla over to form a half-moon. Repeat to make remaining quesadillas (makes about 8).
- 9
Cook quesadillas
Add 1/2 tbs butter or a small splash of oil to the preheated skillet. Cook each folded quesadilla 2–3 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until golden brown and cheese is melted. Work in batches and add more butter/oil as needed. Transfer cooked quesadillas to a plate and keep warm.
- 10
Serve
Slice each quesadilla into wedges. Serve immediately with warm reserved consomé (about 1 cup per 2 people) for dipping, lime wedges, and extra chopped onion and cilantro on the side. To serve like a taco, dip one edge of the quesadilla briefly in the consomé before each bite for extra flavor.