Traditional Mexican Dishes
Mexican Beef Birria
Prepare a tender and aromatic Mexican beef birria, cooked slowly with guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chilies, tomatoes, and spices. Serve it with its consommé or turn it into golden tacos with cheese, onion, cilantro, and lemon.
This beef birria recipe serves six people and combines meat with bone, a chili adobo, and an intense consommé. You can enjoy it as a traditional dish or prepare golden tacos to serve with consommé.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓1.5 kg beef with bone, such as shank, brisket, or rib
- ✓6 guajillo chilies
- ✓3 ancho chilies
- ✓2 pasilla chilies
- ✓4 garlic cloves
- ✓1/2 white onion for the birria
- ✓4 tomatoes
- ✓1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ✓2 bay leaves
- ✓1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ✓1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- ✓1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- ✓4 cloves
- ✓1 small cinnamon stick
- ✓2 teaspoons salt
- ✓1.5 liters water or beef broth
- ✓2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ✓12 corn tortillas for serving
- ✓150 g Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
- ✓1/2 white onion, chopped
- ✓1 small bunch of cilantro
- ✓4 lemons
- ✓Salsa to taste
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Remove the stems and seeds from the chilies
Remove the stems and seeds from the chilies. If you want it spicier, keep some seeds from the pasilla chili. Dry the meat with paper towels to facilitate browning.
- 02
Toast the guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chilies in a hot skillet, wi...
Toast the guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chilies in a hot skillet, without oil, for a few seconds on each side. Avoid burning them so they don’t become bitter.
- 03
Transfer the chilies to a pot with hot water and let them soak f...
Transfer the chilies to a pot with hot water and let them soak for 15 minutes, until they soften.
- 04
In the same skillet, roast the tomatoes, half onion, and garlic clo...
In the same skillet, roast the tomatoes, half onion, and garlic cloves until they have some browned areas.
- 05
Blend the hydrated chilies with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinega...
Blend the hydrated chilies with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, oregano, cumin, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and one cup of the soaking water. If necessary, strain the adobo.
- 06
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the two tablespo...
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the two tablespoons of oil. Season the meat with one teaspoon of salt and brown it in batches, without overcrowding, until it forms a dark and flavorful crust.
- 07
Remove the meat and pour the adobo into the same pot
Remove the meat and pour the adobo into the same pot. Stir to release the flavors from the bottom and cook for 5 minutes, until the adobo becomes more intense and fragrant.
- 08
Return the meat to the pot
Return the meat to the pot. Add the 1.5 liters of water or beef broth, the bay leaves, and the remaining teaspoon of salt.
- 09
When the liquid starts to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the p...
When the liquid starts to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for about 3 hours, until the meat easily shreds from the bone. During the first half hour, remove the foam that rises to the surface.
- 10
When the meat is ready, remove the bay leaves, cinnamon, and, if yo...
When the meat is ready, remove the bay leaves, cinnamon, and, if you find them, the cloves. Remove the meat and shred it with two forks.
- 11
Taste the consommé and adjust the salt if necessary
Taste the consommé and adjust the salt if necessary. For a clearer broth, let it rest for a few minutes and remove some of the fat from the surface.
- 12
To serve in a bowl, place shredded meat in a bowl, cover it with h...
To serve in a bowl, place shredded meat in a bowl, cover it with hot consommé, and finish with chopped onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon. Serve the salsa on the side.
- 13
To prepare golden tacos, heat a griddle or skillet
To prepare golden tacos, heat a griddle or skillet. Quickly dip one side of each tortilla in the reddish fat of the consommé and place that side down.
- 14
Add shredded meat and Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese, fold the torti...
Add shredded meat and Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese, fold the tortillas, and cook them until they are golden and crispy. Flip them carefully.
- 15
Serve the tacos with a small bowl of consommé to dip them in and a...
Serve the tacos with a small bowl of consommé to dip them in and accompany with onion, cilantro, lemon, and salsa to taste.
- Don’t burn the chilies when toasting them, as they can become bitter.
- Brown the meat in batches and avoid overcrowding so it forms a good crust.
- The main sign that the birria is ready is that the meat can be shredded without effort.
- In a pressure cooker, cook the meat with the adobo and broth for about 50 minutes from when it reaches pressure, and let the pressure release naturally.
- In a slow cooker, the birria needs between 7 and 8 hours on low temperature.
- Don’t remove all the fat from the consommé: a small amount adds flavor and is used to brown the tacos.
- The birria can be prepared a day in advance; as it rests, the flavors integrate and deepen.