Quesabirria Recipe
Toasted flour tortilla stuffed with cheese and beef birria style served with consome broth, fresh cilantro, and onion.
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Ingredients
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Birria (beef) and consomé
Assembly - quesabirria and garnishes
Method
Birria (beef) and consomé
- 1
- 2
Char vegetables
Char the halved tomatoes and quartered onion on a hot skillet or under a broiler until blackened in spots, about 5–8 minutes total, turning as needed. Peel charred tomato skins if desired. Lightly roast the garlic cloves in the pan until softened (2–3 minutes).
- 3
Make chile sauce
Drain most of the chile soaking liquid but reserve about 120 ml (1/2 cup). In a blender, combine rehydrated chiles, charred tomatoes, charred onion, roasted garlic, chipotle in adobo, apple cider vinegar, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 cup of the reserved soaking liquid (add more if needed). Blend to a smooth, slightly thick sauce, scraping down sides. Taste and adjust salt or acidity.
- 4
Brown the beef
Cut beef into large chunks (6–8 cm). Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear beef pieces in batches until well-browned on all sides, about 4–5 minutes per batch. Remove browned beef and set aside.
- 5
Braise
In the same pot, add the blended chile sauce and cook 2–3 minutes to reduce rawness. Return beef to the pot and add stock (about 1.5 liters) plus bay leaves, remaining 1 tsp salt, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and braise gently until fork-tender, 2.5–3 hours (or 2 hours in a pressure cooker). Check occasionally and add more stock or water if needed.
- 6
Shred beef and finish consomé
When beef is tender, remove meat to a cutting board and shred with two forks, discarding excess fat or gristle. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to create the consomé; press solids to extract flavorful liquid. Skim fat from top if desired to make a clearer consomé. Keep consomé hot for serving and reserve 3 cups for dipping and dipping pan.
Assembly - quesabirria and garnishes
- 7
Prepare filling
Mix shredded beef with about 1/2–1 cup of the warm strained consomé (to moisten and flavor). Taste and season with additional salt if needed. Keep warm.
- 8
Heat dipping consomé
Pour approximately 1–1.5 cups of consomé into a shallow bowl for individual dipping and reserve 1.5–2 cups in a wide skillet (or use the same pan) for dipping tortillas while frying if desired.
- 9
Assemble quesabirria
Working with one tortilla at a time: heat a thin layer (about 1 tsp) of neutral oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip one side of a flour tortilla briefly (1–2 seconds) into the wide skillet of hot consomé so it wets but does not fall apart. Place the wet side down in the sauté pan. On the dry side, sprinkle a generous handful (about 1/2 cup) of shredded cheese evenly across half the tortilla, add a few tablespoons of shredded birria meat on top of the cheese, then another light sprinkle of cheese on top of the meat to help it stick. Fold the tortilla in half to form a half-moon. Repeat for additional quesadillas, leaving room in the pan.
- 10
- 11
Finish and serve
Transfer cooked quesabirria to a plate. Chop into halves if desired. Serve immediately with a small bowl of hot consomé for dipping, and garnish with chopped cilantro, finely chopped onion, and lime wedges. Offer optional pickled jalapeños or radish on the side.