Birria Recipe

Toast and prep chiles

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast each dried chile 10–20 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned (they should darken slightly). Remove stems and shake out seeds. Tear chiles into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl.

Soak chiles

Pour 3 cups of just-boiled water over the chile pieces so they’re fully submerged. Cover and let soak 20–25 minutes until softened.

Make chile paste

Reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid. In a blender combine the softened chiles (drain most liquid but keep some), reserved soaking liquid, 3 garlic cloves, 1/2 of the yellow onion (roughly chopped), 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp black pepper, 3 whole cloves, 1 cinnamon stick (break in half), and 1 tsp brown sugar. Blend until very smooth, adding up to the reserved soaking liquid to ease blending. Pass the puree through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove large bits and seeds; press with the back of a spoon to extract as much as possible. You should have a thick, smooth red paste (the adobo).

Season the meat

Pat the beef pieces dry and season generously with 1 tsp kosher salt (reserve the rest for later) and a light grind of black pepper.

Brown the beef

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. In batches, brown the beef on all sides until a deep mahogany color forms, 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer browned pieces to a plate. Do not crowd the pan; proper browning builds flavor.

Sauté aromatics

If needed, add 1 tablespoon more oil to the pot. Add remaining garlic (3 cloves) and the other half of the chopped onion; sauté over medium heat until softened and just beginning to brown, about 3–4 minutes.

Combine and braise

Return the beef to the pot. Pour the chile paste over the meat and stir to coat. Add 4 cups beef broth and the bay leaves. Add the cinnamon stick and whole cloves (if not already blended) for extra aroma. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer very gently until the meat is fall-apart tender, about 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Alternatively, braise in a 300°F (150°C) oven for the same time.

Adjust seasoning and shred

About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, taste the broth and add remaining 1 tsp kosher salt (or to taste). When meat is fork-tender, remove beef to a cutting board, discard bay leaves and whole cinnamon stick and cloves. Shred the beef with two forks into bite-sized pieces. Skim excess fat from the surface of the braising liquid and reserve at least 2 cups of the strained liquid (consomé) for dipping. If the braising liquid is very thin, simmer it uncovered 10–15 minutes to concentrate flavor; if too salty, add 1/2 cup water or broth and re-taste.

While the meat finishes braising, prepare toppings: finely chop 1/2 cup white onion and 1/4 cup cilantro. Crumble 1/2 cup cotija cheese. Cut 2 limes into wedges. Keep these on a small platter for assembly.

Heat and dip tortillas

Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Pour 2 tablespoons neutral oil into a shallow dish. Working one at a time, briefly dip each corn tortilla into the warm reserved consomé (about 1–2 seconds each side) so it wets but doesn’t fall apart. Transfer to the hot skillet and fry 30–45 seconds per side until pliable with slightly crisp edges. Keep warm in a low oven (200°F / 95°C) wrapped in foil to retain steam, or stack on a plate covered with a towel.

Assemble tacos

Place shredded beef on each tortilla (about 2–3 oz per taco). Top with chopped onion, cilantro, and a sprinkle of cotija. Squeeze lime over before eating. Serve the reserved consomé in a small bowl on the side for dipping each taco (optional: add a spoonful of braising broth to each taco before folding for extra juiciness).

Serve

Plate four dipped & filled tortillas with a bowl of hot consomé and the platter of onion, cilantro, cotija, and lime wedges. Enjoy immediately while tortillas are warm and broth is hot.