Plan ahead! Birria tastes better when allowed to marinade overnight and then refrigerating it for a few hours or overnight. Refrigerating the birria overnight allows the flavors to meld and makes it easier to collect the solidified grease, which can be used to cook quesabirrias.
In Mexico City, birria is served in bowls with the consomé, or caldillo, and tortillas on the side. Quesabirrias have become more popular, and the consomé is served on the side in little bowls that some people use to dip the quesabirrias in.
The term quesabirria comes from combining the terms quesadilla and birria. A quesadilla is a tortilla filled with cheese, folded in half, and cooked until the cheese is melted and the outside is lightly crisped. It is a very easy-to-make Mexican dish that can be served plain or with a variety of additional fillings such as meats, beans, vegetables, or mushrooms. In this case, a quesadilla is combined with the stewed meat birria.
Ingredients
Meat
2.5 to 3 lbs bone-in beef chuck roast or bone-in short ribs
Chiles
3 guajillo chiles
2 ancho chiles
1 cascabel chiles
1 morita chile
1-1/2 cup water
3–4 garlic cloves
1/2 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons water (for cooking the chiles)
Adobo
Mexican cinnamon (Ceylon cinnamon), 1/4 inch-1/2 inch long, depending on the thickness. See notes
1–2 bay leaves
1-1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon ground allspice (or 5 allspice berries)
⅛ teaspoon dried marjoram
⅛ teaspoon dried thyme
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
2 whole cloves
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup additional water for blending
For Cooking the Meat
5 cups water
1 tablespoon beef broth powdered bouillon (Knorr)
For the Consomé (Broth)
500 ml birria cooking juice (from above)
325 g roasted tomato
⅜ cup water
⅛ tsp oregano
For the Quesabirrias
Corn tortillas
Shredded Muenster, Havarti or Oaxaca cheese
Grease recovered from the caldillo after refrigerating
Shredded Muenster, Havarti or Oaxaca cheese
Grease recovered from the caldillo after refrigerating
To Serve
White onion, finely chopped and briefly rinsed under cold water
Cilantro, finely chopped
Lemon wedges
Spicy salsa
Directions
Prepare the Chiles
Toast the chiles lightly in a dry pan.
Rehydrate them in ¾ cup hot water until softened.
Sauté the rehydrated chiles briefly in oil.
Make the Adobo
Toast spices (allspice, cloves, cumin) until fragrant.
Blend all the spices, sautéed chiles, onion, garlic, vinegar, 2 tbsp chile soaking water, and 1 cup water into a smooth paste. Strain the adobo through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. The adobo can stain your hands easily so be careful when handling it.
Marinate the Meat
Add the beef to a plastic bag and add the adobo. Seal the bag and let it marinate for several hours or preferably overnight.
Cook the Meat
Slow cooker: Place the marinated beef in a slow cooker, add 1-3/4 cups water, and cook at high temperature for 4 or 6 hours until the meat is tender and falls apart.
Pressure cooker: Place marinated beef in a pressure cooker with 1¾ cups water. Cook at high pressure for ??? until the meat is tender and fals apart.
Make the Consomé
Blend roasted tomato with ⅜ cup water and ⅛ tsp oregano.
Mix with 500 ml of the reserved birria cooking juice.
Simmer together to make the flavorful broth.
Serve
Serve the meat shredded in bowls, tacos, or quesabirrias. See notes.
Garnish with chopped onion, lemon wedges, and green tomato salsa.
Make the Quesabirrias
Heat a skillet to medium.
Melt some of the solidified grease from the birria before adding each tortilla.
Add the shredded cheese and then the birria meat.
Fold in half and cook until crispy on both sides and the cheese melts.
Serve hot with a small bowl of the strained birria consomé for dipping.
Garnish with diced onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
Notes
- Always use Mexican cinnamon (Ceylon cinnamon), known as canela, rather than the more common cassia variety found in U.S. supermarkets. Mexican cinnamon is softer in texture, with a delicate, floral sweetness and less aggressive spiciness than cassia. It’s important to use cinnamon sparingly, too much can throw off the balance and give the birria an oddly sweet or perfumey flavor.
- Birria freezes well. Separate the meat from the caldillo before freezing separately.
- In Mexico city, birria is served in bowls with the consomé, or caldillo, and tortillas on the side. Quesabirrias have become more popular and the consomé is served on the side in little bowls that some people use to dip the quesabirrias in.
Inspiration
Ingredients
Meat
3-pound bone-in beef chuck roast
OR
3 pounds of bone-in short ribs (English—not flanken—cut)
Adobo
12 large (about 3 ounces total) dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn into flat pieces
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
A scant ½ teaspoon cumin (preferably freshly ground)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (preferably freshly ground)
1 teaspoon oregano (preferably Mexican)
3 tablespoons vinegar (cider vinegar is common in Mexico)
Salt and a little sugar
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
A scant ½ teaspoon cumin (preferably freshly ground)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (preferably freshly ground)
1 teaspoon oregano (preferably Mexican)
3 tablespoons vinegar (cider vinegar is common in Mexico)
Salt and a little sugar
To Serve
16 warm corn tortillas
About 2/3 cup chopped white or red onion, rinsed under cold water
About 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into wedges
Bold Red Chile Salsa or Mexican hot sauce
16 warm corn tortillas
About 2/3 cup chopped white or red onion, rinsed under cold water
About 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into wedges
Bold Red Chile Salsa or Mexican hot sauce
Directions
Make the adobo (marinade)
In a large (10-inch) skillet over medium heat, toast the chiles a few at a time, using a metal spatula to press them flat against the hot surface until they change color slightly and release their aroma, then flipping and toasting the other side. Collect the toasted chiles in a bowl, cover with hot tap water, weight with a plate to keep them submerged and rehydrate for 20 to 30 minutes. While the chiles are soaking, toast the garlic in the skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally until soft and blackened in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool and peel.
Drain the chiles, reserving about a cup of the soaking liquid. In a blender or food processor, combine the chiles, reserved liquid, peeled garlic, cumin, pepper, oregano and vinegar. Process until smooth. Taste and season highly with salt, usually a generous teaspoon, and just enough sugar to bring out the fruitiness of the chiles.
Cook the birria
Oven: To cook the birria in the ov: en, turn on the oven to 325 degrees and position the rack one-third up from the bottom. You need a 6-quart pot or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Lay the meat in the pot (if the goat is too big, use a cleaver to cut it in half), pour the marinade evenly over it, then pour 4 cups water around the meat. Set the lid in place and cook for 3 hours.
Slow Cooker: To cook the birria in a 6-quart slow-cooker, follow the directions above, but reduce the amount of water to 1 cup. Cook on high for 6 hours.
Finish the birria
Use tongs to carefully pull out the meat, laying the pieces on a plate or rimmed baking sheet. Carefully spoon off all the fat into a bowl. Measure the braising liquid. If it’s more than 2 cups, set the pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and briskly simmer the delicious broth until reduced to that quantity. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1 ½ teaspoons. Pull the meat into large shreds.
Make the tacos
To have the full birria taco experience, you need to work on a large griddle—the kind that covers 2 burners. Set it over medium to medium-high heat. In a very large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat, pour in just enough of the reserved fat to coat the bottom. Add the meat and let cook undisturbed until it just begins to brown underneath. Stir to bring uncrusted meat in contact with the skillet, then reduce the heat to its lowest setting. On the griddle lay out a single layer of 4 to 6 tortillas, first dipping each one about 1/3 into the reserved fat, then rubbing the torilla around on the griddle to ensure that its entire bottom is lightly coated with fat. Top them with some of the meat, splash with a little of the reduced broth, sprinkle with onions and cilantro, and sprinkle with a little salt. When the tortilla just starts to brown a little and crisp (don’t wait too long), fold them over and transfer to a warm plate.
Serve the tacos. Serve your just-made tacos with lime wedges and salsa, plus, if you wish, a small cup of the reduced broth for your guests to dip into.
https://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/bold-arbol-chile-salsa/
Birrias: 65 Recipes from Traditional to Modern by Jesse Valenciana
Birria Mother Recipe No. 1
Serves: 6
Ingredients
Meat
2 lbs (907 g) chuck roast
2 lbs (907 g) beef short ribs
2 cups (480 ml) beef stock, divided (see page 50)
6 dried guajillo chiles
2 dried ancho chiles
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 clove
½ cinnamon stick
1 tbsp (6 g) beef bouillon
2 bay leaves
4 tbsp (60 ml) grapeseed or canola oil, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional Toppings:
Finely diced onion
Cilantro
Lime wedges
Directions
Adobo
Bring 1 cup (240 ml) of the beef stock to a boil.
Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Toast the chiles for 1 to 2 minutes, turning frequently. Discard and replace any burnt chiles.
Transfer toasted chiles to a heatproof bowl, add the boiling beef broth, and let the chiles soak for at least 10 minutes, or until pliable.
Add the chopped onion to the skillet and toast until it begins to soften and brown, about 12 minutes.
Remove the chiles from the soaking liquid. Deseed and devein them, saving the broth.
Add the reserved broth, chiles, toasted onion, garlic, oregano, thyme, clove, cinnamon, bouillon, and bay leaves to a blender. Blend until smooth.
Heat 2 tbsp (30 ml) of oil in a large stockpot over high heat.
Strain the adobo through a fine-mesh sieve into the pot with the hot oil. Discard solids and cook, stirring constantly, until the adobo is thick like tomato paste—about 10 minutes. Set aside.
Chop the chuck roast into medium-size cubes.
Wipe out the cast-iron pan and return it to medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) of oil. Add the chuck roast cubes and short ribs, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until browned (5–7 minutes). Transfer to a Dutch oven.
Add the adobo to the meat, thoroughly coating it. Add the remaining 1 cup (240 ml) of beef stock to cover the meat.
Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat for at least 4 hours, up to 6 hours, until the meat is tender enough to fall apart with a fork.
Before serving, skim grease from the top using a skimmer spoon. Remove bones and gristle.
Serve your desired amount of meat in a bowl with spoonfuls of the consommé.
Top with finely diced onion, cilantro, and lime.
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