Birria Taco Recipe

Toast dried chiles: Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast guajillo and ancho chiles (and árbol if using) 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burnt. Remove and set aside.

Soak chiles: Place toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak 15 minutes until softened, then drain and reserve soaking liquid.

Char tomatoes and half onion: On the same skillet or over a gas flame, char the roma tomatoes and half the white onion until blackened in spots and softened, about 6–8 minutes total. Transfer to blender.

Blend chile sauce: In a blender combine softened chiles, charred tomatoes and onion, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 cup of the reserved chile soaking water (or broth). Blend until very smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove skins/seeds, pressing to extract liquid. Set aside.

Brown pork: Pat pork pieces dry and season lightly with remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown pork on all sides, 3–4 minutes per side—work in batches if needed. Remove pork and set aside.

Combine and braise: Reduce heat to medium. Add blended chile sauce to the pot and cook 1–2 minutes to aromatize. Return pork to pot, add broth to nearly cover meat (about 3–4 cups), add bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, then cover and braise in preheated oven at 300°F (150°C) for 3–3.5 hours, or simmer gently on the stovetop until pork is very tender and shreds easily.

Shred pork and reduce liquid: Remove pork to a cutting board, shred with two forks. Skim fat from braising liquid and strain the liquid into a saucepan. Simmer liquid over medium-high heat until reduced slightly and flavorful to make the consommé (about 10–15 minutes). Taste and season consommé with salt and 1 tablespoon lime juice if desired. Reserve 1–1.5 cups of shredded pork for assembling tacos and keep remaining pork warm for refills or extra tacos.

Prepare toppings: While pork is braising or during reduction, finely dice 1/2 cup white onion and chop cilantro. Shred the Monterey Jack cheese and warm tortillas wrapped in a towel in a low oven (200°F/95°C) or microwave briefly so they’re pliable.

Assemble and Toast Tacos

Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and brush with a little butter or oil. For each taco: lay one flour tortilla on the skillet, sprinkle a thin layer (about 2–3 tablespoons) of shredded Monterey Jack over half the tortilla, add a generous layer of shredded birria pork (about 3–4 tablespoons), and top with a pinch of diced onion and cilantro. Fold tortilla over to form a half-moon. Press down gently with a spatula and cook 1.5–2 minutes per side until the tortilla is golden brown and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas, adding more butter/oil as needed.

Serve: Transfer toasted birria tacos to a platter. Serve immediately with warm birria consommé in small bowls for dipping and lime wedges on the side.

Optional finishing: Squeeze lime over tacos before dipping into consommé. You may spoon a small amount of reduced braising liquid over the shredded pork inside tacos for extra moisture and flavor.

Finish consommé: Keep consommé hot in a small saucepan or in a warmed bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and optional lime juice. Strain one more time if a clear broth is desired.

Serve consommé alongside tacos for dipping: ladle about 3/4 cup consommé per 2–3 tacos, depending on appetite.