Birria is such a precious dish. There are many recipes out there but the two main things to achieve delicious birria is a very good adobo and allowing plenty of cooking time for the beef to really absorb those flavours until it falls apart. A dish this flavourful needs only the simplest of toppings to bring it all together. Pile plenty of birria on cor tortillas and top with fresh onions, cilantro and fresh lime juice. This will make one of the most delicious tacos out there. Add salsa macha for an elevated experience. However, take it to heavenly levels by lightly frying the corn tortillas with some of the birria juices, add your favourite melty cheese and pile on the birria until golden brown and crunchy. You are welcome.
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Adobo
-5 medium tomatoes, quartered
-½ white onion
-6 garlic cloves
-4 guajillo peppers, seeds and stems removed
-3 ancho peppers, seeds and stems removed
-1 pasilla pepper, seeds and stem removed
-½ tbsp whole peppercorns
-½ tbsp allspice
-½ tbsp dried thyme
-½ tbsp cumin
-½ tbsp dried oregano
.2 bay leaves
-¼ cinnamon stick
-1 tbsp white vinegar
-1 tbsp vegetable oil
-500 ml water
-salt, to taste
1 Add the oil to a large pan and fry the tomato, onions and garlic cloves for about 10 minutes.
2 Add the spices and peppers, and toast them for about 8 minutes. Stir often.
3 Add the vinegar, salt and water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool down for a few minutes.
4 Transfer everything to the blender and blend until very smooth. Reserve.
Birria
-1.200kg chuck roast
-vegetable oil, the necessary
-salt and pepper, to taste
-adobo
‘-1lt water
1 Cube the chuck roast into equal-sized chunks. Pat dry them with a paper towel and season them with salt and pepper to taste on all sides.
2 Set a large, heavy-bottom pan with a lid to medium-high heat. Once hot, add some vegetable oil and sear the beef pieces in batches until brown on all sides. This should take only a few minutes, we just want to sear and brown the beef at this stage.
3 Once all the beef pieces have been seared, return them to the pan and pour over the adobo with enough water to cover the beef pieces. You might not need all the water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a minimum, cover with a lid and cook for at least two hours or until the beef pulls apart easily. Season with salt if needed.
Notes
- After making this recipe many times, we noticed that we prefer adding less water to obtain a thicker birria stock in the end. However, you could add more water too.
- Searing the beef pieces before cooking improves the overall flavour of the birria.
- You can remove some of the fat from the chuck but we recommend leaving enough since this adds so much flavour to your birria.
To Serve
-corn tortillas
-diced white onions
-roughly chopped coriander
-limes
- salsa macha
-pickled onions
-cheese (for delicious quesabirrias!)
