Birria de Res Tacos (Beef Birria Tacos)
Description
Authentic Mexican birria tacos made with braised beef in a fragrant 3-chile and tomato sauce with an abundance of herbs and spices for an impressive meal.
Ingredients
•
6 dried guajillo chile peppers, seeded
•
4 dried chile de arbol peppers, stemmed and seeded
•
2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
•
1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed
•
4 medium Roma tomatoes
•
2 tablespoons white vinegar
•
2 cloves garlic
•
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
•
4 whole cloves
•
1 pinch ground cinnamon
•
1 pinch ground cumin
•
1 pinch ground thyme
•
1 pinch dried marjoram
•
1 pinch dried oregano
•
1 pinch salt
•
4 pounds beef chuck roast
•
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
•
18 corn tortillas
•
1 large white onion, finely chopped
•
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
•
1 cup shredded queso asadero (white Mexican cheese)
Directions
1
Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2
Fill a pot with water; bring to a boil. Add guajillo, arbol, and ancho chile peppers; boil for 5 minutes.
3
Off heat, allow peppers to soak until cool. Drain; reserve ¼ cup cooking liquid.
4
Meanwhile, rinse beef; pat dry with paper towels. Cut beef into chunks if desired; season with salt and black pepper.
5
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
6
While the beef is searing, line a heavy cast-iron grill pan or griddle with aluminum foil; place over high heat. Arrange tomatoes in a single layer on foil; grill until tomato skins burned on all sides and begins to peel, 3 to 5 minutes.
7
Place cooled chile peppers into a blender; add charred tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, 2 teaspoons black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and salt. Pour in reserved ¼ cup cooking liquid; blend until smooth.
8
Strain chile sauce through a mesh strainer; pour over browned beef in the Dutch oven, turning until completely covered with sauce. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid.
9
Bake in the preheated oven, basting beef every 45 minutes with sauce, until birria begins to fall apart, 3 to 4 hours. Remove the lid; bake, uncovered, until birria is crispy on top, about 20 minutes more. Remove from oven, cover with 2 layers of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes.
10
Transfer beef to a cutting board; strain off any fat from sauce. Shred beef with two forks; return it to the pot and stir with sauce to coat.
11
Fill each tortilla with birria; top with Mexican cheese, chopped onion, and cilantro. Warm tortillas on a griddle, flipping until both sides crispy and cheese is melted.
12
Serve with extra sauce on the side for dipping.