Birria Beef Stew Recipe
Make Birria Beef Stew Recipe in just 4h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Meat & broth
Chili sauce & aromatics
Garnish & serving
Method
Chili sauce & aromatics
- 1
Prep and toast dried chilies
Remove stems and seeds from the guajillo, ancho and pasilla chilies. Wipe the chilies with a damp paper towel. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the chilies for 10–20 seconds per side — you want them fragrant but not burned. Transfer toasted chilies to a heatproof bowl.
- 2
Rehydrate chilies
Pour 2 cups just-boiled water over the toasted chilies, pressing them down so they are submerged. Cover and let soak 15–20 minutes until pliable.
- 3
Char tomatoes and aromatics
While chilies soak, char the whole roma tomatoes, the halved white onion (cut side down) and unpeeled garlic cloves in a hot dry skillet or under a broiler until they have blackened spots and softened (about 6–8 minutes total). If using a skillet, rotate pieces so all sides get some char. Set aside to cool slightly.
- 4
Blend the sauce
Peel the charred garlic. Transfer rehydrated chilies (reserve soaking liquid), charred tomatoes, charred onion, peeled garlic, apple cider vinegar, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground cinnamon and whole cloves to a blender. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved chili soaking liquid (start with less; you can add more to adjust consistency). Blend on high until completely smooth, 1–2 minutes. If necessary add another tablespoon or two of the soaking liquid to reach a thick but pourable puree.
- 5
Strain for a silky sauce
Pass the blended sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much sauce as possible. Discard solids. Taste and adjust seasoning — add up to 1/2 tsp salt if needed and a splash more vinegar if the sauce needs brightness.
Meat & broth
- 6
Season and brown the beef
Pat the beef chunks dry and season all over with 1 1/2 tsp of the kosher salt and the black pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tbs neutral oil. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the beef on all sides until well caramelized (3–4 minutes per side). Transfer browned pieces to a plate.
- 7
Combine beef and sauce
Lower heat to medium. Pour the strained chili sauce into the pot and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Return all browned beef to the pot and add the beef broth, the remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt (adjust later), the bay leaves, and 1–2 cups of water if the meat is not mostly submerged. Stir gently to combine.
- 8
Braise until tender
Bring the pot to a gentle simmer on the stovetop, then cover and transfer to a preheated oven at 325°F (160°C). Braise until the beef is very tender and pulls apart easily with a fork, about 2.5–3 hours. (Alternatively, simmer covered on very low heat on the stovetop for the same time or use a slow cooker on low for 6–8 hours.)
- 9
Shred and finish
Carefully remove the beef pieces to a cutting board or bowl and shred with two forks, discarding any large pieces of excess fat. Return shredded beef to the braising liquid. If the braising liquid is very thin, simmer uncovered on the stovetop for 10–20 minutes to reduce and concentrate the flavors until you reach a stew-like consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or a splash of apple cider vinegar for brightness (about 1 tbs). Keep warm.
Garnish & serving
- 10
- 11
Plate and garnish
Ladle birria beef and a generous amount of rich broth into shallow bowls or serve family-style in the pot. Offer finely chopped white onion, chopped cilantro, lime wedges and sliced radishes on the side. Spoon beef into warmed tortillas for taco-style servings, adding a little broth (consomé) to each taco if desired. Serve immediately.
- 12
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days. The flavors deepen overnight. Reheat gently on the stovetop; add a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened too much.
