Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, toast the guajillo, morita, and pasilla chiles, stirring often, until they soften and become fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer the toasted chiles to a medium heatproof bowl. Cover them with boiling water. Use a small plate or bowl to keep the chiles submerged. Let them soak until they are rehydrated and pliable, about 20 minutes.
- While the chiles soak, generously season the brisket and oxtails with salt and pepper. In the same pot used for the chiles, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides, turning occasionally. This should take about 6 to 7 minutes per side for the brisket or chuck roast, and 4 to 5 minutes per side for the bone-in parts. Transfer the browned beef to a plate or cutting board.
- In a blender, combine the soaked chiles, 1 1/2 cups of the chile soaking liquid, tomatoes, garlic, cloves, cinnamon stick, vinegar, cumin seeds, and oregano. Blend until a pourable paste forms, adding more chile liquid if needed. This should take about 1 minute.
- Return the browned beef to the pot. Add the quartered onion and bay leaves. Pour in the chile paste. Add enough water to just cover the beef and season with a generous pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
- Remove the pot from the heat, cover it tightly, and bake in the preheated oven until the beef is fork-tender, about 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Once tender, discard the bay leaves and onion. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and reserve the broth (this is your consomé).
- Shred the beef using two forks. Taste the reserved consomé and season with salt and pepper as needed. If you prefer a thinner consomé, add water or chicken or beef stock until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Make Ahead: The birria can be prepared up to 5 days in advance. Store the shredded beef and the consomé in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.
- For Assembly: In the same large pot over medium-low heat, bring the consomé to a bare simmer. You should see a layer of dark red fat or oil on the surface.
- Set up your taco station. Keep the consomé simmering on one burner. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or plancha over medium heat on another burner. Have a plate of the shredded birria beef and a stack of tortillas ready. Place small bowls of shredded cheese, chopped onion, and cilantro nearby.
- Working in batches, reheat about 1/3 cup of the shredded beef in the cast-iron skillet, leaving space for a tortilla. Toss the beef occasionally until it's seared and browned. Dip a tortilla into the simmering consomé, coating both sides with the flavorful fat. Place the consomé-dipped tortilla in the skillet next to the beef and sprinkle generously with cheese.
- Cook the tortilla until the cheese is mostly melted and the underside has browned and started to crisp, about 3 minutes. Place the seared beef onto one half of the tortilla. Top with chopped onion and cilantro. Fold the tortilla in half to form a taco. Cook for about 30 seconds per side until crisp. Repeat this process with the remaining beef and tortillas.
- Serve the birria tacos immediately with lime wedges on the side. Offer small bowls of the consomé for dipping.
Notes
This recipe is a great starting point for your Taco Tuesday. Feel free to adjust the spice level by adding or removing chiles. The key to great birria is slow cooking, which makes the meat incredibly tender.