Birria de Res

Birria originated in Jalisco, Mexico, as a festive goat stew for weddings and celebrations. Today beef birria — slow-braised in a complex chilli and spice broth — has conquered street food culture worldwide, most famously as the filling for quesabirria tacos whose consommé is served for dipping.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) beef chuck, cut into large chunks
• 500 g (1 lb) bone-in beef short ribs

Chilli Paste:

• 4 guajillo chillies, stemmed and seeded
• 2 ancho chillies, stemmed and seeded
• 2 chipotle chillies in adobo
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 400 g (14 oz) canned whole tomatoes
• 1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin
• 1 tsp (2 g) dried oregano
• ½ tsp (1 g) ground cloves
• ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 1 litre (4 cups) beef broth

To Serve:

• Corn tortillas, diced white onion, fresh coriander, lime wedges

Instructions

1. Toast guajillo and ancho chillies in a dry pan 30 seconds per side until fragrant. Soak in boiling water 20 minutes until softened.
2. Blend soaked chillies with chipotle, garlic, onion, tomatoes, spices, vinegar, and 250 ml (1 cup) broth until very smooth.
3. Season beef generously with salt. In a large Dutch oven over high heat, sear beef in batches until deep brown on all sides, 3–4 minutes per side.
4. Pour chilli paste over beef, add remaining broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer. Cover and cook 3–3.5 hours until meat is fall-apart tender.
5. Skim fat from surface — reserve it for frying quesabirria tacos.
6. Shred meat into the consommé. Adjust salt and acidity.
7. Serve in bowls with tortillas on the side, or fry fat-dipped tortillas filled with cheese and birria for quesabirria tacos.

Cook's Notes: This recipe works excellently in a slow cooker — after searing and blending, cook on low 8 hours. The consommé deepens overnight; birria is always better the next day.