Tacos Recipe

Prepare chiles and sauce

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Toast guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles 30–60 seconds per side until fragrant but not charred. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water to soften for 15 minutes; reserve soaking liquid. In the hot skillet, char the quartered onion and halved tomato until blackened in spots, about 6 minutes.

Blend

Drain most of the chile soaking liquid (reserve ~250 ml). In a blender combine softened chiles, charred onion, charred tomato, garlic, oregano, cumin, ground cloves, apple cider vinegar and 120–180 ml reserved soaking liquid. Blend to a smooth purée. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove skins and seeds. Taste and adjust salt.

Braise beef

Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F) or use a heavy pot on the stovetop. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high. Sear beef chunks on all sides until browned, working in batches to avoid crowding, 6–8 minutes per batch. Remove beef. Add chile purée to the pot, cook 2–3 minutes to slightly thicken and develop flavor. Return beef to pot, add bay leaves and beef stock (or water) to just cover. Bring to a simmer.

Simmer

Cover and transfer to oven, or reduce heat to low and simmer on stovetop. Cook until beef is very tender and easily shredded, about 2.5–3 hours. Check once and skim fat if necessary. Remove beef and shred with forks. Strain the braising liquid through a fine sieve into a wide bowl to yield consommé (keep warm). Season shredded meat with 1 tsp kosher salt and a few tablespoons of the strained broth for moistness.

Finish and store

Reserve some consommé for dunking tortillas when assembling birria tacos. Keep meat warm in the consommé until serving.

Bring rib eye to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking. Season both sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking, add 1 tbsp oil. Sear steak 2–3 minutes per side for medium-rare (thicker steaks may need 3–4 minutes per side). Optionally finish in 180°C (350°F) oven for 4–6 minutes if thicker. Rest steak 8–10 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain into bite-sized pieces. Keep warm.

Bring a pot of the white wine (or water) with smashed garlic and bay leaf to a simmer. Add octopus, submerge, and simmer gently until tender when pierced with a skewer, about 40–60 minutes depending on size. Remove and let cool slightly.

Slice or chop the cooked octopus into 1/2" pieces. Warm a skillet over high heat, add olive oil, smoked paprika and octopus. Sear quickly 1–2 minutes per side to get a little char. Splash with lemon juice and season with kosher salt to taste. Keep warm.

In a bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Gradually whisk in cold beer (or sparkling water) until a smooth batter forms — a slightly thick but runny batter. Chill 10 minutes.

Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet or fryer to 180°C (350°F). Pat fish pieces very dry. Dredge lightly in a little flour (helps batter adhere), then dip into batter and carefully lower into hot oil. Fry in batches until golden and cooked through, 3–5 minutes depending on piece size. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain and keep warm.

Heat a skillet over medium. Add chorizo (remove from casing) and cook, breaking up with a spoon, about 6–8 minutes until cooked through and edges are slightly crisp. If chorizo is very lean and sticks, add 1 tsp oil. Stir in chopped onion and cook 2–3 more minutes until onion is softened and translucent. Keep warm.

Warm corn tortillas on a hot skillet or comal, 30–45 seconds per side, or wrap stacked tortillas in foil and heat in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 10 minutes. For birria tacos: briefly dip each tortilla into hot consommé, then place on skillet. Add a generous layer of shredded birria meat, fold tortilla and crisp 1–2 minutes per side until edges are slightly crisp; serve with a small bowl of consommé for dipping.

For rib eye tacos: place a few slices of rested rib eye on warm tortilla. Top with chopped onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

For octopus tacos: add seared octopus pieces to tortilla, top with shredded cabbage, pickled red onions (if using), cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

For fish tacos: place battered fish on tortilla, top with shredded cabbage, sliced avocado or a spoonful of guacamole, chopped onion, cilantro and lime. Add a drizzle of hot sauce if desired.

For chorizo tacos: spoon cooked chorizo onto warm tortilla and finish with chopped onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Arrange toppings (onion, cilantro, radishes, limes, pickled onions) on the table so guests can assemble. Serve birria with consommé for dipping and lime wedges on the side.