Authentic Mexican Birria Recipes

BIRRIA DE RES -- BEEF BIRRIA

Steps:

• Start by rinsing and de-stemming the tomatoes. Roast them in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes or until you need them.
• Wipe off any dusty crevasses on the dried chiles. De-stem and de-seed the chiles, but don't worry about getting rid of every last seed. Roast them in the oven for 1-2 minutes or until warm and fragrant. Add the chile pieces to a bowl and cover them with the hottest tap water you've got. Let them reconstitute for 20 minutes or so.
• Roughly chop 1 onion and peel 6 garlic cloves. Add a glug of oil to a skillet on medium heat and saute the onions and whole garlic cloves. Once the onion has softened and lightly browned you can add this mixture to the blender.
• Add a thin layer of oil to a skillet and preheat to medium-high. Chop up the brisket into chunks and give it a good salting. Sear each side of the beef in the skillet for a few minutes or until it is browning. Add the seared meat pieces to the slow cooker. You can optionally deglaze the pan with the 2 cups of stock that's used to liquefy the sauce.
• Before draining the reconstituted chiles take a taste of the soaking liquid. If it tastes bitter to you then use stock for the sauce. If you like the flavor you are welcome to use the soaking liquid in place of the stock.
• Add the drained chiles, roasted tomatoes, and the onion-garlic mixture to a blender along with: 2 cups of stock (or what you used to deglaze the meat pan), 2 chipotles in adobo (optional), 1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can (optional), 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, pinch of ground clove, 2 teaspoons salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Combine well. Note: if you're using stock that's high in sodium you can consider starting with a single teaspoon of salt and going from there.
• Take a taste of the sauce. An easy to way to add more heat is to add an additional half or whole chipotle. Keep in mind that the sauce has to compete with the big flavor of the beef so I tend to make it salty and fiery at this point.
• Cover the seared meat pieces with the sauce. Slow cook on low for 4-6 hours.
• Once cooked you can optionally skim off any fat that has risen to the surface. Shred the beef using two forks and discard any fatty chunks that you don't want to eat.
• Add the shredded beef (or as much as you are using for tonight's meal) to a separate bowl and add enough sauce to give it a thorough coating. Adding the sauce to the shredded beef is the key so don't skip this step!
• One serving option is to simply add the shredded beef back to the sauce and serve it soup style -- you may need to thin out the sauce with some stock if you choose this option.
• But I chose tacos for this batch. Add corn tortillas to a dry skillet over medium heat along with slices of cheese. Once the cheese is melted and the underside of the tortillas are forming light brown spots they are ready to go. You can optionally add the meat to the tortillas in the skillet for a quick reheat.
• I topped these tacos with Salsa de Aguacate, finely chopped raw onion, freshly chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
• Store leftover Birria in the fridge where it will keep for a few days.

DARK BIRRIA

Steps:

• Start by rinsing and de-stemming the tomatoes. Roast them in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes or until you need them.
• Wipe off any dusty crevasses on the dried chiles. De-stem and de-seed the chiles, but don't worry about getting rid of every last seed. Roast them in the oven for 1-2 minutes or until warm and fragrant. Add the chile pieces to a bowl and cover them with the hottest tap water you've got. Let them reconstitute for 20 minutes or so.
• Roughly chop 1 onion and peel 6 garlic cloves. Add a glug of oil to a skillet on medium heat and saute the onions and whole garlic cloves. Once the onion has softened and lightly browned you can add this mixture to the blender.
• Add a thin layer of oil to a skillet and preheat to medium-high. Chop up the chuck roast into 1-2" chunks and give it a good salting. Sear each side of the beef in the skillet for a few minutes or until it is browning. Add the seared meat pieces to the slow cooker. You can optionally deglaze the pan with the 2 cups of stock that's used to liquefy the sauce.
• Before draining the reconstituted chiles take a taste of the soaking liquid. If it tastes bitter to you then use stock for the sauce. If you like the flavor you are welcome to use the soaking liquid in place of the stock.
• Add the drained chiles, roasted tomatoes, and the onion-garlic mixture to a blender along with: 2 cups of stock (or what you used to deglaze the meat pan), 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, pinch of ground clove, 2 teaspoons salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Note that you may not need to add as much salt as me if using store-bought stock. Combine well.
• Cover the seared meat pieces with the sauce. Slow cook on low for 4-6 hours. Alternatively, you can simmer the beef on the stovetop, covered, for 2-3 hours or until it is fall-apart tender.
• Once cooked you can optionally skim off any fat that has risen to the surface -- this fat can be used to crisp up the tacos. It's also a good time to take a taste of the sauce and adjust it to your liking. I like having a strong hint of clove and cinnamon in this recipe so I added another pinch of each.
• Shred the beef using two forks and discard any fatty chunks that you don't want to eat. Add the shredded beef (or as much as you are using for tonight's meal) to a separate bowl and add enough sauce to give it a thorough coating. Adding the sauce to the shredded beef is the key so don't skip this step!
• If you'd like to make traditional Birria tacos, the key is to start crisping up the corn tortillas in some fat BEFORE adding the Birria. I used lard, but you could also use olive oil or even the fat that has risen to the surface of your stewing pot. Simply add a thin layer of fat to a skillet over medium heat. Once the fat is heated you can add as many tortillas as the skillet will fit, giving them a minute or so to start crisping up. Then add Birria and cheese to each tortilla, fold them half, and crisp up each side of the tacos until brown spots are forming on the tortillas.
• Serve the tacos immediately with your choice of fixings. I added raw onion and freshly chopped cilantro to the insides of the tacos, and served them next to plenty of the Birria sauce for additional dipping and drizzling. And don't forget a final squeeze of lime!
• Store leftover Birria in an airtight container in the fridge where it will keep for a few days.

BEEF BIRRIA

Steps:

• Season the meat with salt and pepper, then place in a large baking dish.
• Clean and devein the peppers. Slightly toast them over a medium heat, making sure you do not burn them (burned peppers make the dish taste bitter). Soak peppers in a cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Roast the onion and garlic and place in your blender.
• Toast the whole cloves, cumin seeds, and black peppercorns (this is a quick step that only takes a few seconds). Place them in your blender along with the roasted tomatoes, herbs, onion, cinnamon and the vinegar.
• Once peppers are soft, drain, add to the blender and puree until you have a smooth sauce. Add a few tablespoons of water only if your blender is having a hard time processing it. Season the sauce with salt.
• Pour the sauce over the meat, making sure it is covered all over with this sauce of dried peppers and spices. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours to allow all the meat to absorb the flavors. SEE NOTES about adding more water.
• Preheat the oven to 350º F. Bake the meat in the baking dish covered with the aluminum foil for about 4 hours or until it is fork-tender.

BIRRIA TACOS

Steps:

• with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Heat oil in Instant pot on SAUTE setting, (or large Dutch oven over medium heat) and add onion and garlic, stirring and sauteing until fragrant, tender and golden. Add all the spices, saute 2 minutes, add the bay leaves & tomatoes and their juices and the beef stock. Stir and scrape up any browned bits.
• Add the salted meat and stir.
• in a dry large skillet over medium-low heat until softened, releasing their oils, about 2 minutes. Nestle into the stew. Add optional orange zest.
• INSTANT POT: Set instant pot to 45 minutes on high pressure. Let it naturally release.
• Dutch Oven: If using a dutch oven, add one more cups of water, cover tightly, and simmer gently on the stovetop, on low heat (or bake in a 350F oven). Check every 45 minutes, adding more water to keep water level just slightly over the meat for roughly 2 - 2 1/2 hours, until meat is tender and falling part.
• You could also place this in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours.
• Once the meat is tender, fish out the chilies, and blend with a cup of the warm broth in a blender until pureed. Return to the pot, stirring it in. Shred the meat with two forks.
• Taste and season, adding a splash of vinegar and honey to taste, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. For more heat blend in chipotle or add more adobo from the can.
• Dip tortillas into the rich broth, lightly coating each side and place in a greased skillet, over medium heat, top with cheese, birria stew meat, and any fixings. Fold the over ( like a quesadilla) and pan-sear each side until crispy. Keep warm in the oven until serving.
• (feel free to thin this out with a little more broth if you prefer) Serve in a bowl, topped with cilantro, radish, cucumber, chopped onion or pickled onion, cotija cheese or sour cream and lime. (Fresh chopped things add good texture.)

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN BIRRIA RECIPE

Steps:

• Season the meat with salt, pepper, and cumin
• Cut open the dried chiles with scissors and remove the seeds
• Fry the dried chiles with a small amount of oil in a frying pan for 2-3 minutes, moving constantly so they don't burn. Set aside
• Add the chiles from the previous step to a small pot with boiling water for about 10 minutes, or until softened.
• In the same frying pan where you fried the chiles, add 1 tablespoon of oil and cook the onions and tomatoes until they are browned. Add the garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and all of the remaining spices except for the ground cumin and ginger. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, moving it around often.
• Add the chiles (including the water), the ingredients from the previous step, and the ginger, cumin, apple cider vinegar and water to a blender and blend until smooth. It will still be pretty thick, but that is fine. Strain and set aside the resulting sauce for the next step.
• Pour the sauce over the meat in a large bowl and cover. If using the oven or stovetop methods, you will want to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight. If using the electric pressure cooker option, you can marinate it, but it isn't necessary.
• Follow the cooking instructions according to your preferred method below.
• Add the meat with the marinade to a large stockpot and cook over medium heat, covered, for about three hours, or until the meat falls off the bones and is easy to shred.
• Add the meat with the marinade to a large oven-safe dish and cover with aluminum foil and cook at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 2 hours or until the meat is easy to shred.
• Add the meat with the marinade (or just the meat and the marinade separately if you chose not to marinate it) to the pot of the electric pressure cooker.
• Follow instructions for your electric pressure cooker to bring it to high pressure and cook for 45 minutes. Release pressure naturally for 5 minutes and then use the quick pressure release option to release the rest of the pressure. Remove the lid per instructions and the meat will be tender and ready to shred.
• Remove the meat and shred it. You can then serve it over the soup made from the sauce that the meat cooked in or you can serve it with tortillas as tacos with cilantro, lime, onions, and salsa.

BIRRIA DE RES TACOS (BEEF BIRRIA TACOS)

Steps:

• Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Add guajillo, ancho, and arbol chile peppers; boil for 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and allow peppers to soak until cool. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the water.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Rinse meat and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add meat and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Line a heavy cast-iron grill pan or griddle with aluminum foil and place over high heat. Arrange tomatoes in a single layer on top. Grill until tomato skin is burned on all sides and begins to peel, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Combine soaked chile peppers, cooked tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, 2 teaspoons black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and salt to taste in a blender. Pour in reserved 1/4 cup of chile water; blend until smooth.
• Strain chile sauce through a mesh strainer and pour over the browned meat in the Dutch oven, turning roast so it is completely covered with sauce. Cover the Dutch oven and place in the preheated oven.
• Bake, basting meat every 45 minutes with the sauce, until birria begins to fall apart, 3 to 4 hours. Remove lid and bake uncovered until birria is crispy on top, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with 2 layers of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, warm tortillas on a griddle. Fill each tortilla with birria and top with chopped onion and cilantro.

BIRRIA RECIPE

Steps:

• Place Anaheim and guajillo peppers in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
• Pour chiles and water into a blender; add onion, mixed spices, and salt. Blend until sauce is smooth.
• Mix stew meat, sauce, and bay leaves in a large pot; cook over medium-low heat until meat is very tender, 3 to 5 hours.

MEXICAN BIRRIA

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Toast all of the chiles on a hot griddle or in a skillet over medium heat until browned, but not burned.
• Remove the seeds and veins and discard; place the chiles in a bowl, cover them with very hot water, and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
• When the chiles have rehydrated, drain them.
• Place the chilies and vinegar in a blender and process to make a paste.
• In a small bowl, mix together all of the rub ingredients. Rub the meat well with this mixture.
• Coat the meat with half of the chile paste.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the meat marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Pour the 1 cup of water into a Dutch oven or deep casserole dish. Add the coarsely chopped onion, bay leaves, chopped garlic, and the remaining chile paste.
• Place the meat on a rack or steamer basket that sits just above the liquid mixture.
• Place the lid on the pot, making sure that it covers tightly, and bake for 4 hours.
• Remove the meat from the Dutch oven to a cutting board. Cut or break into pieces a little larger than bite size. Distribute the meat among 6 to 8 bowls. Add a bit of the broth to each serving, more if serving as a stew, less if for tacos.
• Serve as a soupy stew or as a taco filling with warm corn tortillas, garnished with the chopped cilantro and onion.

INSTANT POT BIRRIA TACOS

Steps:

• Prepare Dried Chiles: Remove stems and seeds from dried chiles, then cut chiles into smaller pieces. *Tip for Adjusting Spiciness: This birria is mild to medium spicy. Reduce spiciness by skipping the Chile de árbol; make it spicier by adding 1 more Chile de árbol.
• Toast Dried Chiles in Instant Pot: Put all dried chiles in Instant Pot. Press "Saute" button to "Sauté More" to heat up the Instant Pot. Stir occasionally. Once you smell the chiles' aroma (~4 to 5 mins), remove and set aside the toasted chiles.
• Brown Meat in Instant Pot: Wait until the Instant Pot says "HOT". Pat dry your meat. Season one side of beef with salt & black pepper. Add 1 tbsp (15ml) vegetable oil in inner pot, and ensure to coat the oil all over the whole bottom of the pot. Carefully place the seasoned side of beef in Instant Pot. Season the other side of beef with more salt & black pepper. Brown one side for 5 minutes before flipping the meat, then brown the other side for another 5 minutes. Set aside the browned meat.
• Saute Onions and Garlic: Add another 1 tbsp (15ml) vegetable oil to Instant Pot. Add in sliced onions, then saute for 3 minutes. Add in garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, ½ (2.4g) cinnamon stick, 2 tsp (2g) dried Mexican oregano, 1½ tsp (3g) ground cumin seeds, 1 tsp (1.8g) ground coriander, and 2 tsp (10g) tomato paste, then saute for another minute.
• Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour in 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.
• Pressure Cook Birria: Add in 2 tbsp (30ml) apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) fish sauce, and another cup (250ml) of unsalted chicken stock, then give it a quick mix. Add in toasted dried chiles (make sure all chiles are submerged in the cooking liquid). Layer browned beef on top. With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cooking Methods:a) Beef Shank & Chuck Roast Pieces (1.5" - 2" thick): Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 40 minutes, then Natural Release for 15 minutes. b) Beef Short Ribs (1.5" - 2" thick): Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 42 minutes, then Natural Release for 15 minutes. c) 3lbs Bone-in Lamb Shoulder (3.25" thick): Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 2 hours, then Natural Release for 15 minutes. Remove the lid carefully.
• Blend and Shred Beef: Transfer beef to a large mixing bowl. Find and discard the bay leaves & cinnamon stick. Keep all the chiles in Instant Pot. Blend the birria sauce with an immersion hand blender. With two forks, shred the beef, then transfer the shredded beef back to the Instant Pot.
• Season Birria: Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt (for reference: we added roughly 4 - 6 large pinches of salt).
• Garnish & Serve Birria: This birria is epic tasty with freshly grated melting cheese. Place some of the flavorful birria sauce in a ramekin. Garnish with diced white onion and finely chopped cilantro.
• Optional - Make Birria Tacos: Heat up a skillet over medium heat. Dip corn tortillas in the birria sauce. *Pro Tip 1: Make sure the birria sauce is fully covering both sides of corn tortillas because the tortillas will break if they're too dry.*Pro Tip 2: If you're using a cast-iron skillet, grease pan with oil to prevent tortillas from sticking. You can use a bit of oil for a non-stick pan. *Pro Tip 3: It's important your skillet is hot enough before you start to pan fry the tortillas.Place corn tortilla on the heated skillet. Layer a handful of grated melting cheese on corn tortilla, then let the cheese melt. Once the cheese has melted and the corn tortilla is a bit crisped, layer some birria meat on the cheese. Fold corn tortilla in half.rve these deliciously epic birria tacos immediately with dipping sauce and lime slices.

MEXICAN STEW: BIRRIA

Steps:

• On hot griddle toast the ancho and gaujillo chile and submerge in hot water. Let chiles sit for 20 minutes. Remove from water and puree in blender with a cup of warm water. Set aside.
• In a deep Dutch oven, add the beef and ribs, water, onion, and garlic cloves. Bring to boil and cook for 1 hour. At this point add the bay leaves, thyme, chile puree, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper simmer for 30 minutes. To make sauce, puree the garlic, vinegar, and chile powder in a blender.
• Serve the stew in a big bowl with a sprinkle of onion and cilantro and a squeeze of lime on top. Serve with corn tortillas and some of the sauce on the side, as well.