What are they?
Birria is a traditional Mexican beef or goat stew that is slow-cooked until the meat is tender, fall-apart juicy, and delicious. It is spicy and extremely savory. A brilliant idea was to stuff this delicious meat into a taco shell, dip it in the stew, and fry it up. After that, these birria tacos burst into flames; the rest is history.
Birria Tacos Recipe:
Although goat is traditionally used to make birria, beef is what I've used here because it's easier for most of us to find. Beef is also the safer option for large groups, but if you're a more adventurous eater and want a goat, go for it. The only changes are to substitute goat for the beef shank and sirloin in the recipe.
The magic happens when you dip the tortilla in the stew and fry it until crispy, so don't skip this step. Although tacos are delicious, very few people outside of the southwest are aware that cooking the tortilla in fat transforms them into something truly exceptional. Traditionally, this is done in butter or lard, but in this recipe, the fat from the stew's top is used to give it a kick. You won't be able to stop eating crispy fried taco shells.
Quick Pot Birria:
Although you can prepare this stew any way you like, I prefer to do it in the instant pot because it is much quicker and retains more of the flavor. When you cook something in the slow cooker for a long time, do those delicious aromas fill your home? Those are flavor particles, which indicate that there is flavor absent from your soup. But you can make this any way you want, and it will be delicious, so pick the one that works best for you.
Oven:
You'll need a fairly large Dutch oven to cook this. Until you close the Instant Pot's lid, follow the instructions exactly. Cover the Dutch oven and place it on the lowest possible heat on your stove, or place it in an oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 4-6 hours.
Cooker:
Sautéing the onions in a slow cooker is the only difficult part of making this. My solution was to simply defer that step. It did not appear to make a significant difference. I simply added everything to the slow cooker and set it to low for eight hours. This recipe was too big for our smaller slow cooker, so I cut it in half. However, I think it will work just fine in a standard-sized slow cooker. If you try this out, let me know in the comments.
Beef is contained in Birria. Use a high-quality beef shank to make the best birria tacos. This cannot be changed. For texture and variety, you can and should mix up another cut. For tacos, I prefer lean meat, so I mixed in a cheap roast like sirloin; however, if Steph had her way, she would use short ribs. However, because she isn't cooking, we got a sirloin.
Guajillo Peppers, dried.If you live in the United States, you can typically find these sun-dried peppers in the Mexican section of your local grocery store. They give stews their authentic Mexican flavor. They don't add any heat and are similar to mild-medium peppers, so you shouldn't worry at all. Any dried Mexican or southwestern peppers, such as ancho, new Mexico, California, or pasilla, can be substituted for them if they are unavailable. You can skip them if you really can't find them, but it's still worth looking for them!
Adobo with chipotle peppers. These are delicious and come in a small can. They are salty, sweet, and spicy. They are so good that they are used in many Mexican stews and marinades. You can find them almost anywhere because they are so good. For tacos al pastor, we typically keep three to four cans on hand.
Oregano from Mexico. If you're already in the Mexican aisle, make sure to pick up a bag of this oregano, which typically costs around 99 cents. It is always cheaper, almost always fresher, and always better than the stuff in the spice aisle.
How to Make Birria Stew Making Birria stew is a simple and quick process:
Let the peppers soak. The dried peppers should be soaked in boiling water while you carry out the subsequent steps.
Spice up the meat. Make the marinade by cubing the roast and seasoning it with salt and pepper while you wait for the peppers to soak. In a blender, combine everything remaining except the cinnamon, bay leaves, and cloves. Allow the peppers to cool down enough to handle after taking them out of the warm water. Cut off the tops with scissors while holding them by the tip over the sink. The seeds will effortlessly fall out. Then add them to the blender as well. Make a paste by blending everything together.
Overnight the beef will be marinated. Even though two hours is sufficient, stews always require more time.
Produce the stew. Onions can be fried. Because flavor starts with onions, you want them to be extra delicious and golden and transparent. Give it some time. Add the last few spices, cover with chicken stock, and add the meats. All that remains is that!
How to Make Birria Tacos:
Once you have the stew, it's easy to make the tacos:
Grate your meats. You can also fry them if you want. I skipped this step, which worked fine; however, if you prefer your meat to be extra crispy and hot, you should do so here.
Make your tortillas warm. They become pliable and soft as a result. We use a tortilla warmer, but you can microwave them for 30 seconds by wrapping them in damp paper towels.
Fill and dip. Dip your tortillas in the soup; the fat is close to the surface, so you don't need to go too deep, but you should make sure they are covered. The remaining tortilla half should then be filled with beef, onions, optional cilantro, and cheese.
Fry and fold. Cook the tacos for two to three minutes on each side in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Serve the stew as a dip with a side dish.
The tortillas
These tacos are made with street-sized corn tortillas, but you can use anything you like. Local tortillas, even uncooked ones, are frequently available at Whole Foods.
La Tortilla Factory and Santa Fe Tortilla Company make some of the best mass-produced tortillas available if you are in a location where good tortillas made locally are unavailable. My favorite national brand is Mission Foods, which is one level higher.
To make tortillas that are purchased in stores pliable and delicious, you must warm them. Warming the tortillas will fix the problem if they break when folded. Wrap six to twelve tortillas in a damp paper towel, microwave them for 10 to 30 seconds, then let them rest for another 10 to 30 seconds for the best results.
Quesabirria Tacos
Everyone loves cheese, and quesabirria tacos may just be more popular than standard birria tacos. Birria Ramen Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.comBefore folding and frying the tacos, shred some Oaxaca cheese into them to make quesabirria tacos. Feel free to substitute mozzarella or cheddar if you are unable to locate Oaxaca. However, for me, the tacos are best served with aged Cotija cheese crumbled into them for extra cheese pull and delicious meltiness. One of my favorite bites in this world is the contrast of the crispy tortilla, soft criteria, and melty cheese.
What should accompany Birria Tacos?
These birria tacos are sufficient to eat handfuls all alone. However, if you wanted to serve them with a side, you could help them with homemade tortilla chips, Mexican rice, and even birria tortilla soup. or my personal favorite right now: Ramen from Birria (shown above).
Ingrdiants and Instructions:
Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes Total Time 2 hours Ingredients 1.5 lb beef shank 1 lb sirloin or other roast or steak Marinade 3 dried guajillo peppers (see notes) 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo 1/4 cup vinegar 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes 5 cloves garlic 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp cumin Stew 1 medium onion chopped Dried guajillo peppers should be soaked for 15 minutes. Cube your cab sirloin in the meantime, and then season the steak and shank with salt and pepper. Place aside.
Blend the marinade ingredients. Hold the peppers by the tip over the sink while they are still soaking, use scissors to remove the stem and allow the seeds to fall out, then add them to the blender. Mix the marinade into a smooth glue. The meats should be marinated for at least two hours and possibly overnight.
Use a skillet over medium heat or an Instant Pot on sauté high. Sauté the onions in 1-2 tablespoons of oil until golden and translucent (6-7 minutes).
In an Instant Pot, cook your onions. Add the meats, marinade, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and cloves to the pot. After covering it with chicken broth, set the pressure to high for 45 minutes. Set the stovetop or slow cooker to low heat for four to six hours.
After the instant pot has finished cooking, remove the meat and allow it to naturally release. The bones should be shredded and put aside.
Dip some warm tortillas in the stew after they have been heated. Make your tacos, add any optional toppings, and fry them in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drink as soon as possible, preferably with a cold Mexican beer or margarita.
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