Description
Sizzling Mexican classic beef birria delivers rich, complex flavors that dance across palates with authentic spice and depth. Slow-braised tender meat wrapped in crispy tortillas promises an irresistible culinary journey you’ll savor with every passionate bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef Birria and Birria Tacos Ingredients:
Meat:
- 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms) beef chuck roast, cut into chunks
Chiles and Aromatics:
- 4 dried Guajillo chiles
- 4 dried Ancho chiles
- 3 Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 cinnamon stick
Spices and Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
Liquid and Oils:
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 6 cups water
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Garnish:
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Taco Components:
- Corn tortillas
- Chopped onions
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Carefully separate and deseed the dried chiles, immersing them in scalding water to rehydrate and soften for approximately half an hour.
- Transfer the plumped chiles into a blender alongside aromatic onions, pungent garlic, tangy vinegar, and an array of warming spices, excluding bay leaves. Pulse until achieving a velvety, uniform consistency.
- Heat a robust cooking vessel with oil, then methodically sear beef chunks, developing a rich caramelized exterior on each side to lock in profound flavor profiles.
- Pour the vibrant, fragrant marinade over the seared meat, supplementing with water, aromatic bay leaves, and a judicious amount of salt. Initiate a vigorous boil, then reduce to a gentle, languid simmer.
- Cover and allow the meat to braise luxuriously for three to four hours, ensuring absolute tenderness and complete flavor infusion.
- Extract the bay leaves and assess the seasoning, incorporating freshly chopped cilantro for a bright, herbaceous note.
- Delicately deconstruct the beef into succulent shreds, preparing to assemble tacos with broth-dipped tortillas, accompanied by crisp diced onions, verdant cilantro, and zesty lime wedges.
Notes
- Carefully select dried chiles like guajillo, ancho, and pasilla for an authentic, rich flavor profile that elevates the traditional birria recipe.
- Toast whole spices before grinding to release their deep, aromatic oils and intensify the marinade’s complexity.
- Consider using a pressure cooker to reduce cooking time by half while maintaining the meat’s tenderness and moisture.
- Refrigerate the prepared birria overnight to allow flavors to meld and develop a more intense, robust taste.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 90mg