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Beef Birria Recipe

a bowl of homemade shredded beef birria topped with chopped onion and cilantro next to tortillas for serving
  • Serves:  8
  • Prep Time:  15 min
  • Cook Time:  3 hrs 15 min

Ingredients

  • 2 dried ancho chiles
  • 2 dried guajillo chiles
  • 3 dried chiles de árbol
  • 1 (3 pound) chuck roast, fat trimmed, cut into 3-inch pieces
  • 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium white onion, quartered
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 cups beef stock
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire roasted diced tomatoes

For Serving

  • Chopped white onion
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Corn or flour tortillas, warmed

Method

  1. Cut open the dried chiles with kitchen scissors or a knife and discard the seeds. Heat a large dry skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the chiles, moving them occasionally, for 4 minutes.
  2. Cover the chiles with 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat off and let the chilis soak until softened, about 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower third position. Pat the beef dry with a paper towel and season all over with the salt and pepper.
  4. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is smoking, work in batches, adding the beef, and cooking, until browned on all sides, about 15-18 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
  5. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and toss until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Add the cinnamon, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, and ginger and cook, stirring until fragrant, 1 minute more.
  6. Add the beef stock and vinegar, using a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Remove the pot from the heat and allow ingredients to cool slightly.
  7. Drain the softened chilis (discarding the soaking water). Add the chilis and the canned tomatoes to the sauce. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth, directly in the pan. (Alternatively, transfer the ingredients to a blender, let cool briefly, blend until nearly smooth, and then return the sauce to the pan.) 
  8. Return the beef (along with any collected juices) to the Dutch oven, nestling it into the sauce. Cover with a tight fitting lid, and cook in the oven, until the beef is tender and can be pulled apart easily with a fork, about 2½ hours. 
  9. Using 2 forks, shred the beef, discarding any large pieces of fat.
  10. Serve with the remaining sauce/broth in bowls garnished with chopped onion and cilantro. Alternatively top the tortillas with the beef, use as a filling for quesadillas, or try our Birria Tacos. 

Notes

  1. While toasting the chilis turn on your kitchen fan and open a window as it can create a very spicy aroma in the air. 
  2. If you don't have a Dutch oven, use a large skillet to brown the beef and onions and sauce. After blending the sauce, transfer the contents to a large baking dish, add the beef, covered tightly with aluminum foil and cook according to instructions. Check on the sauce halfway through and add 1 more cup of stock if it seems to be evaporating too quickly.