Deliciously Juicy Birria de Res (Beef Birria) Tacos

Happy Taco Tuesday!!! We have something special today: Beef Birria Tacos. Here's what you'll need for 12 amazing tacos:

Photo byShea Goldstein

Ingredients:

Meat

• 3 pounds boneless chuck roast
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Olive oil for searing

Whole Spices for Consomé

• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds (sub 1 tsp ground)
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds (sub 1 tsp ground)
• 6 whole cloves (sub 1/4 teaspoon ground)
• 4 bay leaves
• 1/2 cinnamon stick broken up

Consomé/Sauce

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 dried guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
• 4 dried ancho chiles stems and seeds removed
• 1 chili de arbol stems and seeds removed *
• 4 vine-ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon granulated beef bouillon or better than bouillon
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tsp EACH smoked paprika, dried thyme
• 6 cups reduced sodium beef broth (divided into 3 cups each)

Tacos

• 12-16 corn tortillas
• 12 ounces Oaxacan cheese or Mozzarella, separated into strings
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
• 1-2 tablespoons lime juice
• pinch of salt

Other:

• Cheesecloth
• lemon wedges

Toasting the Whole Spices and Chilies
Begin by dry toasting the whole spices for the adobo sauce in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir occasionally until they are evenly toasted and become very fragrant. Once done, transfer them to a bowl or plate. Next, add the peppers to the pot and dry roast them for a couple of minutes on each side, then remove and set them aside on a plate.

Searing the Beef
Next, cut the beef into 4-inch pieces, then pat dry and season all sides with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef, arranging it in a single layer, and sear until all sides are deeply browned. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining beef.

Making the Sauce
In the same Dutch oven, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the beef drippings and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened, then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Return the toasted spices to the pot, along with the deseeded chilies and the remaining ingredients for the consomé (include the first 3 cups of beef broth). Bring to a simmer, cooking for 10-15 minutes and stirring occasionally until the peppers are very soft. While this simmers, preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

Remove the bay leaves and discard, then carefully transfer the mixture to a high-powered blender (in batches if necessary) and blend until smooth, leaving a corner of the lid open and covered with a paper towel to allow steam to escape. If you don't have a high-powered blender, strain the chili sauce through a cheesecloth into a bowl, pressing the mixture through with a rubber spatula. Reserve the solids, as they are the spices; wrap them in cheesecloth and add them back to the broth.

Braising the Beef
Add the seared beef back into the Dutch oven, followed by the chili sauce and the other 3 cups of beef broth. Cover the pot, bring it to a simmer, and then transfer it to the preheated oven. Cook for approximately 3 hours or until the meat is tender and falls apart easily.

Assembling the Tacos
Mix together the onion, cilantro, lime, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Transfer the cooked beef to a bowl and shred it using two forks. Taste and add more salt if needed (typically about 1/2 teaspoon). In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Dip each tortilla into the top layer of the sauce (mostly the fat) and place it in the skillet. Press down with a spatula to prevent it from bubbling up. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the bottom is golden.

Flip the tortilla and quickly cover it with shredded cheese. Cover the skillet and cook until the cheese is almost fully melted. Then, uncover and add shredded meat to half of the cheese-covered surface. Cook until the bottom is lightly charred, then fold the tortilla in half to form a taco.

Serve the tacos with the cilantro-onion mixture and a bowl of the remaining broth (consomé) for dipping. Enjoy!

*Notes:

To make mild sauce, omit the Arbol chile. For extra spicy, add up to 3 chiles.