Beef Birria Recipe
- Serves: 8
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 2 hrs 45 min
- Calories: 366
Ingredients
- 2 Dried Ancho Chiles, large
- 2 Dried Guajillo Chiles
- 2-3 Dried Chiles de Árbol
- 3-3 1/2 lbs Chuck roast, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, cut into 4 wedges
- 4 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 cups Beef stock
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted tomatoes
For Serving
- raw white onion, chopped
- cilantro, roughly chopped
- tortillas, warmed
Method
- Cut open the dried chiles with kitchen scissors or a knife and discard the seeds. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Toast the dried chiles for 4 minutes, moving them occasionally so they don't burn, turn heat off.
- Cover the chiles with 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water begins to boil, turn the heat off and let the chilis soak until softened, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Pat the beef dry with a paper towel and season the meat with salt and pepper.
- In a large dutch oven heat the oil over medium high heat. Working in batches, cook the meat on all sides until browned, about 15-18 minutes total. Transfer the meat to a plate.
- In the same pot, reduce the heat to medium and add the onion wedges. Cook until onions are browned on both sides, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and toss until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the cinnamon, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, and ginger to the pan, cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Deglaze the pan by adding the beef stock and vinegar and scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen anything stuck to it. Remove the pot from the heat and allow ingredients to cool slightly.
- Add the contents of the pot to a blender along with the canned tomatoes. Drain the softened chilis (discarding the water used for soaking) and add them to the blender. Blend on high until fully combined and a smooth sauce is achieved.
- Add the beef along with the prepared chili sauce back to the dutch oven, cover and cook on center rack until beef is tender and can be shredded with a fork, about 3-3.5 hours.
- Remove the meat and shred it, discarding any large pieces of fat.
- Serve the meat along with the remaining broth/sauce in bowls garnished with chopped onion and cilantro, in warm tortillas, as a filling for quesadillas OR try our Birria Tacos!
Note: If you don't have a dutch oven, brown the meat and onions in a large skillet and transfer contents to a large baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake.