Beef Birria
Description
This beef birria is Chef John's recipe for a full-flavored meat stew featuring short ribs and chuck simmered with guajillo chiles and various spices.
Ingredients
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1 (2 1/2 pound) beef chuck
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3 (8 ounce) beef short ribs
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4 teaspoons kosher salt
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2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
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1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1 teaspoon ground cumin
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1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
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7 dried guajillo chilies
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 large onion, roughly chopped
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6 cloves garlic, peeled
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1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
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3 large tomatoes, cored and chopped
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2 cups water
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4 cups chicken broth
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1/4 cup white vinegar
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3 bay leaves
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1 tablespoon honey
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2 tablespoons finely diced white onion
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1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
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1 medium lime, sliced
Directions
1
Cut beef chuck in half; cut each half into 3- to 4-inch pieces. Cut each beef short rib through the middle, all the way down to the bone.
2
Place beef chuck and short ribs into a soup pot; season with kosher salt, oregano, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and cloves. Toss thoroughly until meat is evenly coated with spices, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours to overnight.
3
Prep guajillo chiles by snipping off stems with scissors; slice open and scrape or shake out seeds onto a plate to discard.
4
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add guajillo chiles and toss in hot oil, about 30 seconds. Add onion, garlic, and ginger; toss to combine. Add tomatoes and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 30 minutes.
5
Turn off heat and use an immersion blender to purée mixture as smooth as possible, or use a countertop blender, working in batches as needed.
6
Remove the soup pot with meat from the refrigerator. Strain puréed chili mixture into the pot using a large mesh strainer. Add chicken broth, vinegar, bay leaves, and honey to the pot.
7
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until meat is fall-apart tender, 3 to 4 hours. Skim fat off of the top and reserve for future birria queso tacos.
8
To serve, place a few chunks of beef into a soup bowl and spoon some cooking liquid on the top. Sprinkle with some white onion and cilantro; squeeze lime juice over the top.