The meat is the star in Birria Tacos, and that meat is something exceptional. Fatty and flavorful cuts of beef are slow-braised in a herbaceous and vivacious marinade. Seriously, the meat in Birria Tacos is the epitome of melt-in-your-mouth tender. Making the beef takes time and patience, but the result is a mountain of meaty goodness on top of corn tortillas and topped with cilantro and Oaxacan cheese. It’s a mountain worth scaling!
Ingredients
For the birria de rez:
- 1 (2-pound) beef chuck, boneless
- 1 pound oxtail or short ribs
- kosher salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil, such as vegetable or avocado
For the sauce:
- 7 ancho chiles, ends trimmed and de-seeded
- 7 guajillo chiles, ends trimmed and de-seeded
- 3 chiles de árbol, ends trimmed and de-seeded
- 1 white onion, halved
- 6 cloves garlic
- 4 Roma tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 Mexican cinnamon stick, optional
- 3 bay leaves
- cold water, to taste
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups beef broth, divided
- kosher salt, to taste
For the tacos:
- 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
- 1/4 white onion, minced
- 1 lime, juiced
- kosher salt, to taste
- 8 corn tortillas
- 3 ounces Oaxacan or mozzarella cheese
Directions
Step 1 –Bring the boneless chuck and the oxtail to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Step 2 –Season the meat on all sides with the kosher salt.
Step 3 –In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the oil.
Step 4 –Once the oil is shimmering, add the chuck and the oxtail in batches. Sear on all sides until well-browned, about 2-4 minutes.
Step 5 –Transfer the meat to a plate and set it aside.
Step 6 –In a medium pot, add the ancho chiles, the guajillo chiles, the chiles de árbol, the halved white onion, the garlic, the tomatoes, the peppercorns, the oregano, the cumin seeds, the coriander seeds, the cloves, the Mexican cinnamon stick, and the bay leaves.
Step 7 –Add the cold water until it covers everything in the pot. Place the pot over medium heat and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes.
Step 8 –Pour the mixture through a strainer, discarding the liquid.
Step 9 –Place the contents of the strainer into a blender. If you are using a Mexican cinnamon stick, discard the cinnamon stick now.
Step 10 –Add the apple cider vinegar and 1 cup of beef broth to the blender. Blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes.
Step 11 –Season the sauce mixture with the salt.
Step 12 –Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Step 13 –Add the meat back to the Dutch oven and pour the sauce over it.
Step 14 –To the blender, add the remaining 2 cups of the beef broth and swirl it around to pick up any remnants of the sauce.
Step 15 –Pour the contents of the blender into the Dutch oven with the meat.
Step 16 –Place the Dutch oven over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer. Immediately cover and transfer the Dutch oven into the oven.
Step 17 –Cook until the meat is tender and has reached a minimum temperature of 135 degrees F, about 3 hours.
Step 18 –Mix the cilantro, the remaining 1/4 cup of the minced white onion, the lime juice, and the salt together.
Step 19 –Remove the meat from the sauce and shred it with two forks.
Step 20 –Ladle the sauce into a bowl and add the cilantro mixture.
Step 21 –Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Step 22 –Dip a tortilla into the top fatty part of the sauce. Add the tortilla to the hot skillet and pan fry for about 30 seconds.
Step 23 –Flip the tortilla and add the shredded meat and the cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and cook until pan-fried on both sides, about 1 minute.
Step 24 –Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Step 25 –Serve the tacos with the sauce.
