Tacos De Birria Recipe
Three traditional beef birria tacos with mexican cheese, onions, cilantro, consome, salsa and rice on the side.
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Ingredients
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Birria (beef stew) and consommé
Tacos
Salsa and sides
Method
Birria (beef stew) and consommé
- 1
- 2
Sear the beef
Season beef pieces with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear beef in batches until browned on all sides (3–4 minutes per side). Transfer seared beef to a plate.
- 3
Make chile-tomato puree
Drain most of the chile soaking liquid but reserve 1/2 cup. In a blender combine softened chiles, reserved 1/2 cup soaking liquid, quartered tomato, quartered onion, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar, oregano, cumin, thyme and 1/2 tsp salt. Blend until very smooth.
- 4
Cook birria
Pour the chile-tomato puree into the pot used for searing (add 1 tbs oil if dry). Cook the puree 4–6 minutes over medium heat, stirring, to deepen flavor. Add seared beef back to the pot along with bay leaves and beef broth (or enough water to cover meat by about 1 inch). Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer gently until meat is fork-tender, 2.5–3 hours (or pressure cook 45–60 minutes on high). During cooking skim any excess fat or foam and taste, adjusting salt (total about 2 tsp salt).
- 5
Shred meat and strain consommé
Remove beef pieces and shred with two forks; discard any large pieces of fat or bone. Strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to collect the consommé. If consommé is very greasy, chill briefly and skim fat off the top or spoon fat away. Keep 2 cups consommé warm for serving and dipping.
Tacos
- 6
- 7
Assemble and cook tacos
Working in batches, place a tortilla in the skillet and immediately sprinkle about 2 tablespoons shredded cheese across half of the tortilla. Add about 1/4 cup shredded birria meat over the cheese, then a little more cheese on top (this helps seal). Fold tortilla over to form a half-moon. Cook 1–2 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until tortilla edges are crisp and cheese is melted and golden. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Keep finished tacos on a baking sheet in a warm oven (200°F/95°C) to hold.
- 8
Alternative: deep-fry
If you prefer a crisper taco, heat 1/2 inch oil in a skillet and shallow-fry assembled folded tacos 1–2 minutes per side until crisp and golden, then drain on paper towels.
- 9
Finish and garnish
Cut tacos in half if desired. Top each taco with chopped onion and cilantro and serve with lime wedges. Provide small bowls of warmed consommé for dipping.
Salsa and sides
- 10
Warm salsa and rice
Warm the salsa if desired. Reheat the cooked Mexican rice (in microwave or on stovetop with a splash of water) until hot, about 2–4 minutes.
- 11
Serve
Plate three tacos per person with a side of warmed rice, a small bowl of consommé for dipping, extra salsa, and lime wedges. Spoon a little consommé into each taco as desired before eating for maximum flavor.