Name: Velvet Pigs BIRRIA TACOS Recipe
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 lbs pork shoulder (boneless), cut into 2–3" chunks; 2 tbs kosher salt; 1 tsp black pepper, ground; 2 tbs vegetable oil; 1 large yellow onion, quartered; 6 cloves garlic cloves, smashed; 4 cups beef or chicken stock; 2 whole bay leaves; 1 tsp dried oregano (preferably Mexican); 1 tsp ground cumin; 4 pieces dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded; 6 pieces dried arbol chiles, stemmed and seeded; 2 pieces dried morita chiles, stemmed and seeded (or 2 canned chipotles if unavailable); 1 medium tomato (or 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes); 2 tbs white vinegar; 1 pinch ground cloves; 1 pinch ground cinnamon; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 3 cups water (for soaking); 12 pieces all-purpose flour tortillas (6–8 inch); 3 cups provolone cheese, thinly sliced or shredded; 0.5 cup white onion, finely chopped; 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, chopped; 4 pieces lime wedges; 2 tbs vegetable oil or lard (for pan-frying)

BRAISED PORK SHOULDER, ARBOLS, MORITA, PROVOLONE, ONION, CILANTRO IN FLOUR TORTILLA WITH CONSOME FOR DIPPING

Pat pork shoulder pieces dry and rub evenly with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a large heavy Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Sear pork in batches until well browned on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer seared pieces to a plate.

Season and sear

Reduce heat to medium. Add quartered onion and smashed garlic to the pot and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Return pork to the pot.

Aromatics

Pour 4 cups beef or chicken stock over the pork to mostly cover. Add bay leaves, oregano, and ground cumin. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and braise until pork is very tender and easily shreddable, about 2.5–3 hours (or 3–4 hours in the oven at 300°F/150°C). Check once and skim any excess fat if needed.

Add stock and herbs

When tender, remove pork to a cutting board. Let rest 10 minutes, then shred with two forks, discarding any excessive fat or gristle. Reserve 1–2 cups of the braising liquid (strain if necessary) to mix with the chili sauce and use as consomé for dipping.

Rest and shred

Working over medium heat in a dry skillet, toast guajillo, arbol, and morita chiles for 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burnt. Remove from heat.

Toast chiles

Place toasted chiles in a heatproof bowl and cover with 3 cups hot water. Let soak 15–20 minutes until softened. Reserve 1 cup of the soaking liquid and drain the rest.

Soak chiles

Add softened chiles, reserved soaking liquid (about 1 cup), chopped tomato (or 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes), white vinegar, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper to a blender. Blend until very smooth, adding up to 1/2 cup additional soaking liquid if needed to reach a pourable but thick sauce consistency. Taste and adjust salt or vinegar.

Blend sauce

Strain the blended sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan, pressing solids to extract flavor. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 8–10 minutes to meld flavors. To make the consomé: stir in 1–2 cups reserved braising liquid from the pork (start with 1 cup and add more for desired intensity). Keep warm for serving.

Simmer and finish

Stir shredded pork into the chili sauce until evenly coated. Warm gently for 5 minutes so the meat absorbs the sauce. Reserve a portion of the sauced meat for assembling tacos and keep extra sauce/consomé in a serving bowl for dipping.

Combine with shredded pork

Warm flour tortillas on a dry skillet or in a covered stack wrapped in a towel for a few minutes. Have provolone shredded/sliced and chopped onion and cilantro ready.

Prep toppings and tortillas

Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and add 1 tsp oil. Place one flour tortilla on the skillet, sprinkle a thin layer (about 2–3 tbs) of provolone over half the tortilla, then add 2–3 tbs of the sauced shredded pork on top of the cheese. Fold the tortilla over to make a half-moon. Cook 1–2 minutes per side until cheese is melted and tortilla is golden and slightly crisp. Repeat for remaining tortillas, adding more oil as needed.

Assemble tacos

For extra flavor, brush or dip each assembled taco lightly into the consomé before placing on the skillet to crisp a moment on each side — this creates a richer, dippable exterior. Cook until both sides are golden and slightly crisp, about 30–45 seconds per side when dipped.

Crisp and finish

Serve birria tacos hot with a small bowl of warm consomé for dipping, and bowls of chopped onion, cilantro, and lime wedges on the side. Encourage diners to dip each bite into the consomé.

Serve

pork shoulder (boneless), cut into 2–3" chunks

kosher salt

black pepper, ground

vegetable oil

yellow onion, quartered

garlic cloves, smashed

beef or chicken stock

bay leaves

dried oregano (preferably Mexican)

ground cumin

dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded

dried arbol chiles, stemmed and seeded

dried morita chiles, stemmed and seeded (or 2 canned chipotles if unavailable)

tomato (or 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes)

white vinegar

ground cloves

ground cinnamon

salt

black pepper

water (for soaking)

all-purpose flour tortillas (6–8 inch)

provolone cheese, thinly sliced or shredded

white onion, finely chopped

fresh cilantro, chopped

lime wedges

vegetable oil or lard (for pan-frying)

BIRRIA TACOS

Make BIRRIA TACOS Recipe in just 4h . BRAISED PORK SHOULDER, ARBOLS, MORITA, PROVOLONE, ONION, CILANTRO IN FLOUR TORTILLA WITH CONSOME FOR DIPPING

Birria Tacos Recipe

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