Birria Tacos
Turn up the heat in your household with this spicy, smoky, and sweet Mexican favorite known as “birria tacos” paired with our bright chimichurri.
Equipment
Ingredients
Tacos
- 20 tortillas
- 1/2 cup Oaxaca cheese shredded
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 lb. boneless beef chuck roast
- 2 lbs. beef short ribs
- 4 dried guajillo chiles
- 3 dried ancho chiles
- 5 dried chiles de árbol
- 1 white onion cut into 8 pieces
- 10 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 9 oz. whole fire-roasted tomatoes 3/4 12 oz. can
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp marjoram
- 3 cloves whole
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 tsp salt 1 tsp for the adobo and 3 tsp for the beef
Chimichurri
- 1/2 white onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup cilantro roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lime squeezed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- ground pepper
Instructions
1. Toast the Chiles and Soak them for 30 minutes
- Cut guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, and chiles de árbol in half and remove seeds.
- Place sauté pan on the stovetop at medium heat. Add dried chiles to the pan and toast them for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Half-fill a saucepan with water and place the saucepan on the stovetop at high heat. Once the water is hot, turn off the heat and add the chiles. Soak for 30 minutes.
2. Toast the Spices and Prepare the Vegetables
- Place sauté pan on the stovetop at medium heat. Add oregano, marjoram, cloves, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds. Toast for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder to grind toasted spices and black peppercorns.
- Cut onion into 8 segments.
3. Blend the Adobo and Marinate the Beef Overnight
- Add onion segments, whole garlic cloves, toasted and ground spices, fire-roasted tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, and soaked chiles (without the stems) to the blender.
- Blend until smooth and stir in 1 tsp of salt.
4. Marinate the Beef Overnight
- Add meat to the pot or dutch oven you will use to cook the beef. (I use the Le Creuset Braiser but any pot with a lid, and deep enough to hold the liquid will suffice).
- Season the beef on both sides, with 3 tsp of salt.
- Pour sauce over the beef. Cover the pot and marinate the beef in the refrigerator overnight.
5. Preheat the Oven and Cook for 4 Hours
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).
- Remove pot from the refrigerator at least 2 hours prior to cooking to bring beef and sauce to room temperature.
- Add water, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick to the pot.
- Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 3.5 to 4 hours or until the beef falls off the bone and is easy to pull apart.
6. Make the Chimichurri
- Dice the white onion, mince garlic, and roughly chop the cilantro.
- Add white onion, garlic, and cilantro to a mixing bowl. Add olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Whisk together.
- Let it sit for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend and become pronounced.
7. Shred the Beef and Coat it with the Sauce
- Remove the pot from the oven and transfer the meat to a bowl, leaving the sauce behind. Shred the beef. Discard the bones.
- Place the pot on the stovetop at low heat. Add additional 1/2 cup of water (if desired) and stir. The result should be a thick puree sauce.
- Set aside 1/4 cup of sauce including some of the chile oil to a shallow dish to dip the tortillas.
- Once the beef is shredded, at it back to the pot and coat it with the sauce.
8. Fry up the Tacos
- Shred the cheese. Set aside.
- Place sauté pan on the stovetop at medium heat.
- Dip each tortilla into the sauce on both sides.
- When the saucepan is hot, add thet tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on the tortilla. Allow the cheese to partially melt. Spoon beef on top of the cheese. Then, spoon chimichurri onto the beef.
- Fold the taco in half and transfer to the plate. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
- Serve and enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 617kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 41gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 1000mgPotassium: 895mgFiber: 6gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 3611IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 304mgIron: 7mg
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