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Birria Tacos

Birria Tacos

Birria Tacos are crispy red tacos filled with cheesy shredded beef and served with rich consommé for dipping.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course Mains
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 25 tacos
Calories 300 kcal

Equipment

  • large saucepan
  • stick blender
  • large heavy based pot
  • non-stick pan
  • sieve

Ingredients
  

Birria adobo (paste)

  • 25 g guajillo chillies, dried (~4 pieces, heaped ¾ cup once chopped)
  • 45 g ancho chillies, dried (~2-3 pieces, 1 cup once chopped)
  • 6 g chillies de arbol, dried (~6 pieces, 2 tablespoon once chopped)
  • ½ cup chilli soaking water (reserve after simmering)
  • 5 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1 small onion (roughly sliced, ~tennis ball size)
  • 1 medium tomato (roughly sliced, 180g)
  • 2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • teaspoon black pepper

Birria braising

  • 5 tablespoon vegetable oil (or canola oil)
  • 1300 g chuck beef (cut into 6 large pieces, or boneless beef short ribs - 1800g bone-in)
  • 2 cups beef stock / broth (low sodium)
  • 10 cloves cloves (or ¼ teaspoon ground cloves)
  • 1 stick cinnamon stick (substitute ¼ teaspoon powder, but it's not quite the same)
  • 3 bay leaves (preferably fresh else dried)
  • 2 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or regular white vinegar, red or white wine vinegar)
  • 2 ½ teaspoon cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt, +30% for flakes)

Beef seasoning

  • ½ teaspoon cooking salt / kosher salt

Birria Tacos

  • 20 - 25 corn tortillas (14.5cm/6" wide)
  • 1 white onion (diced)
  • ½ cup finely chopped coriander / cilantro leaves
  • 350 g shredded cheese (Colby, Monterey Jack or Oaxaca cheese)
  • lime wedges (optional)
  • salsa or hot sauce (your favorite, optional)

Instructions
 

ABBREVIATED RECIPE

  • Simmer chopped chillies 10 min. Strain, blitz Adobo paste. Brown beef, cook off adobo paste, slow-cook beef 2 ½ hrs (lid on). Remove meat, shred, skim fat off braising liquid ('Birria Oil'). Toss beef in skillet with 1 cup braising liquid (aka Consomme). Heat 1 teaspoon Birria oil over low heat, wipe pan with tortilla, remove, repeat x2 with ½ teaspoon oil each. Top tortilla with cheese, beef, onion, coriander, fold over, pan fry until crisp. Serve with Birria Consomme for dunking!

FULL RECIPE

  • Prepare chillis: Use gloves if you're sensitive to working with chilli! Deseed - Trim and discard stems. Cut lengthwise, remove and discard the seeds. Roughly chop into 1 - 1.5cm / ¼" pieces. Simmer - Put chillis in a large saucepan of boiling water. Simmer rapidly for 10 minutes to soften, until flesh is mushy (skin stays intact but softens). Reserve ½ cup of chilli-simmering water. Drain chilli in a sieve, lightly press out residual liquid.
  • Shredded beef: Birria Adobo (paste) - Place cooked chillies, reserved ½ cup chilli water and remaining Adobo ingredients in a tall jug large enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blitz for 20 seconds until as smooth as possible (it's not completely smooth). You can also do this in a small food processor, NutriBullet or blender.
  • Sear beef - Heat the oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add half the beef and sear each side until it's dark golden brown (about 1 - 1 ½ minutes each side). Remove to a bowl and repeat with remaining beef.
  • Cook off Adobo - Add the paste to same pan and stir for 2 minutes in oil.
  • Slow cook 2 ½ hours - Add all Birria braising ingredients, stir, then add the beef. Bring to a boil then lower heat until it's simmering gently. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 ½ hours, or until beef shreds easily.
  • Shred - Remove the beef to a clean pan and shred well. Add the ½ teaspoon of salt and toss meat to distribute.
  • Birria oil - Skim off as much of the red oil floating on braising liquid surface as possible (ideally 6 tbsp+) and place in a separate bowl.
  • Soak beef - Pour 1 cup of the braising liquid into a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Let it simmer for 15 seconds, then add all the beef and toss in the sauce until it's all absorbed by the beef.
  • Birria Consommé - Taste and check for salt, add more if needed. Keep warm to use for dipping once tacos are done.
  • MAKE CRISPY CHEESY BIRRIA TACOS! Red tortillas - Heat 1 teaspoon Birria Oil in the same non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Put a tortilla in and 'wipe' around to make the underside red. Remove to a work surface red side down.
  • Stuff - Spread cheese on half of each tortilla, top with beef, then onion and coriander/cilantro.
  • Crisp! - Fold over then pan-fry 3 Birria Tacos at a time over medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side, until golden-red and crispy.
  • Serve - Remove and serve while hot with the Birria Consommé for dunking!

Notes

Makes 22 - 25 tacos (900g shredded beef once sauced), depending on how generously you stuff with beef.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tacoCalories: 300kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 20gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 500mgPotassium: 300mgFiber: 5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 15IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 15mg
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