Dinner Recipes,  Soup Recipes

Beef Birria Tacos

May 19, 2023 /

This is one of those dishes where you’re going to spend some time in the kitchen…so prepare for it and enjoy it the smells are amazing and the process is therapeutic!  Birria is a popular Mexican dish that originated in the Jalisco state. It is traditionally made with lamb or goat meat, but it is common for people to use beef. Birria is most commonly consumed as a stew but also can be shredded for tacos. Making new dishes is one of my favorite part about cooking as it forces me to research and learn not only about the dish but also the origins. Birria is also referred to as a humble stew and I also read that it can cure a hangover??? All my boys loved it but my second to oldest son said “Mom this is some serious soul food” and I have to agree. It is so savory and full of flavor that in the taco you just kept coming back for more. (I also used the leftovers to make quesadillas and that was great too!) Lets get to the recipe:)

Ingredients

For the Meat

  • 4 lbs of Beef Chuck Roast
  • 2 lbs of beef soup bones
  • 2 Tlbs of olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper

For the Sauce/Broth

  • 6 Dried Chile de Arbol
  • 10 Dried Guajillo Chiles
  • 1 large onion
  • 6 Cloves Garlic
  • 1 Tbls of butter
  • 2 Tbls of tomato paste
  • 1/8 tsp of cinnamon
  • 1 Tsp of salt
  • 1 Tbls of Cumin
  • 1 Tbls Dried Oregano
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 2 Tbls of fresh chopped Cilantro
  • 1/2 cup of steeped water (see recipe…I saved the water from steeping the peppers)
  • 2 tsp of Ancho Chili Powder
  • 1 Tbls Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 4 cups Beef Broth
  • Cilantro, Lime and Onions for topping the tacos after the dish is prepared

Instructions

Preparation

  • Season the meat with salt and pepper
  • Over med/high heat add olive oil and sear meat till brown on all sides and set aside
  • Cut open the dried chiles with scissors and remove the seeds
  • Toast the dried chiles  2-3 minutes, moving constantly so they don’t burn. Set aside
  • Add the chiles from the previous step to a pot with 2 cups of boiling water for about 20 minutes, or until softened.
  • Next melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat in a frying pan and cook the onions and garlic until soft.  Add tomato paste and incorporate. Set aside
  • Next blend the chiles (including 1/2 cup of the steeped water), the ingredients from the previous step, cinnamon, salt, cumin, oregano, Ancho Chile powder, and Apple Cider vinegar. Blend until smooth
  • Place seared beef in a large Dutch oven and top with blended chili mixture
  • Next add 2 bay leaf’s, cilantro, and beef broth to Dutch oven and bring to a boil on the stove top. Once you bring it up to a boil cover and turn off heat. Place Dutch Oven into oven at 350 degrees for 4 hours or until beef can be easily shred

How to Serve

  • Remove the meat and shred it. Discard beef bones
  • You can then serve it over the soup made from the sauce that the meat cooked in or you can serve it with tortillas as tacos with cilantro, lime, and onions. Make sure you serve the tacos with the broth on the side to dip your taco into. Some recipes will call for dipping the tortilla into the broth before warming up. I also like to drizzle a little sauce onto the meat after it’s in the taco.

Enjoy,

Xoxoxoxoxoxo