Remove stems and seeds from guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast chiles 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burnt. Transfer toasted chiles to a bowl and cover with hot water; soak 20 minutes until softened. While chiles soak, char the roma tomatoes and quartered onion on a hot skillet or under a broiler until blackened in spots. Peel any loose skin from tomatoes if desired.

Make the chile sauce

Drain chiles but reserve about ½ cup of the soaking liquid. In a blender, combine softened chiles, charred tomatoes, charred onion, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar, oregano, thyme, cumin, black pepper, 1 tsp salt, and the reserved soaking liquid. Blend until very smooth, adding a little stock (up to ½ cup) if needed to achieve a pourable sauce consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning; it should be savory with mild heat.

Brown the beef

Season beef pieces with the remaining 1 tsp salt. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 2 tbs vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add beef in batches and brown on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Remove browned beef to a plate.

Assemble and braise

Reduce heat to medium, add the blended chile sauce to the pot and cook 2–3 minutes to concentrate flavors. Pour in beef or chicken stock, scraping up any brown bits. Return the browned beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, then cover and braise in the oven at 325°F (160°C) or on low stove-top for 2 to 2½ hours, until beef is fork-tender and shreddable. Alternatively, braise in a slow cooker on low for 6–7 hours.

Shred and reduce

Remove beef to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl and skim fat if desired; reserve 3–4 cups as consommé for dipping and to moisten taco meat. Return shredded beef to the pot with enough reserved cooking liquid to keep it moist (about 1–1½ cups), simmer 5–10 minutes so the meat absorbs flavors. Adjust salt to taste.

Taco Assembly & Garnishes

Prepare tortillas

Heat a flat griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brush both sides of each corn tortilla with a little oil. For crispier Tarascan-style tacos, lightly fry tortillas in a skillet 20–30 seconds per side until pliable with a few golden spots; for softer tacos, warm them on the dry griddle, flipping often. Keep warmed tortillas wrapped in a clean towel to stay soft.

Assemble tacos

Place 2–3 tablespoons shredded birria beef in the center of each warm tortilla (adjust to preference). Top with a sprinkle of finely diced white onion, chopped cilantro, and crumbled cotija or queso fresco. Add pickled red onion if using, and a squeeze of fresh lime just before serving.

Serve with consommé

Warm the reserved strained cooking liquid (consommé) in a small pot, taste and adjust salt or a squeeze of lime if desired. Serve consommé in small bowls alongside the tacos for dipping. To enjoy the classic Tarascan experience, dip the filled tortilla into the consommé before each bite.

Finishing & Notes

Leftover birria keeps well refrigerated up to 4 days; reheat gently in its cooking liquid to prevent drying. Freeze shredded meat in broth for up to 3 months. To scale recipe up for a restaurant-style batch, maintain roughly the same chile-to-meat ratio and adjust braising liquid accordingly.