Beef Birria
Fall-apart tender Beef Birria spiced up with guajillo and ancho chiles makes for a hearty and satisfying dish. It's perfect for stuffing into tacos, rolling into burritos, or heaping over rice.
Servings: 8
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 dried guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed, and discarded
- 2 dried ancho chiles stems and seeds removed, and discarded
- 4 cups hot water
- 1 large white onion quartered and divided
- 1 large tomato quartered
- 6 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 pound boneless beef chuck roast cut into 4 pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- chopped white onion for garnish
- chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Soften the chiles. Combine the chilis and the hot water in a large pot or bowl, and let stand 20 minutes, or until chiles are softened.
- Blend. In a blender, combine two quarters of the onion, tomatoes, garlic, thyme, oregano, cumin, ginger, and the chiles and liquid. Process until smooth.
- Brown the beef. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the beef to the heated oil and brown it on all sides; about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Add the remaining ingredients and sauce. Add in the bay leaves and remaining onions. Stir in the blended sauce and add in the beef broth. Bring the mixture to a boil; then, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1-½ to 2 hours, or until meat is fall-apart tender.
- Take out the beef. Remove the cooked meat from the pot and transfer it to a cutting board. Remove the onions and bay leaves from the pot, too.
- Cook the liquid. Continue to simmer the liquid, uncovered, until reduced by half; about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Shred the meat. Meanwhile, shred the beef with forks and then stir it back into the pot until well combined. Transfer the beef mixture to a serving bowl or a platter and garnish with onions and cilantro.
- Serve it. Serve beef birria in warm tortillas, over rice, or as a filling for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more.
Notes
- Beef: I only use chuck roast to make this recipe, but it's important to note that different regions in Mexico all prepare birria in their own way. Some places use beef, others use goat, or even lamb.
- Chile Peppers: The Guajillo and Ancho peppers are mild, so if you want to add some heat, don't skip the guajillo, but go ahead and add in some cayenne pepper, or even arbol chiles.
- Cinnamon: Birria recipes can include cinnamon, and if you would like to use cinnamon, start small, with about 1/4 teaspoon, and adjust later. Or, you can use a small cinnamon stick, too.
- Using Beef Birria: Use the shredded meat to make tacos, or as a consomme (soup), fill tamales, serve over noodles, serve over rice, etc...
- Make Ahead: Make this recipe up to 3 days ahead of time. Warm it up on the stove and then use the shredded meat in tacos, quesadillas, or as you wish.
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 556mg | Potassium: 960mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2946IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 5mg
