On the Menu Tonight – Beef Birria Tacos!
Birria tacos take a little more time than your average taco night, but they’re absolutely worth it. Beef short ribs are slowly braised with toasted dried chiles, garlic, oregano, and cumin until the meat is incredibly tender, then pulled from the bones and tucked into corn tortillas that are dipped in the rich consommé and crisped in a hot skillet.
What really stood out to me when I made these was the depth of flavor. Toasting the dried chiles before blending them and giving the short ribs several hours to braise produces richly flavored beef and an incredible consommé. Serve the tacos with diced onion, fresh cilantro, lime, and some of that consommé on the side for dipping.
What Is Birria?
Birria is a traditional Mexican dish from the state of Jalisco. Traditionally made with goat or other meats, beef birria has become extremely popular, particularly when the tender braised meat is served in tacos with the flavorful cooking liquid, or consommé, alongside for dipping.
For this version, I use beef short ribs. They bring plenty of rich beef flavor along with the fat and connective tissue that become wonderfully tender during a long, slow braise. As a bonus, some of that rendered beef fat can be used later when crisping the meat and cooking the tortillas.
About the Chiles
This recipe uses two types of dried Mexican chiles: guajillo and pasilla.
The chiles are lightly toasted first to bring out their flavor, then soaked in hot water for about 10 minutes before being blended with toasted garlic, Mexican oregano, and cumin.
Be careful when you’re toasting the chiles. You’re looking for fragrant and lightly toasted—not burned. Burned dried chiles can introduce an unpleasant bitterness that will carry through the entire dish.
If your blender doesn’t completely break down the chile skins, strain the blended mixture before adding it to the short ribs.
Patrick’s Tips
Use tenderness, not just the clock. Plan on approximately 3–3½ hours in the oven, but use the meat itself as your guide. The short ribs are ready when they’re fork-tender and the meat pulls easily away from the bones.
Keep an eye on the consommé. Check the liquid after about 2½ hours. If too much has evaporated, add some additional water before returning the covered Dutch oven to the oven.
Save that rendered fat. Don’t discard the flavorful beef fat that rises to the top of the consommé. Use some of it in the skillet when crisping the shredded beef and cooking the tortillas.
Don’t skip the tortilla dip. Dipping the corn tortillas into the consommé before they hit the skillet adds both flavor and color and is part of what makes these tacos special.
Have your toppings ready. Dice the onion, chop the cilantro, and cut the limes while the beef finishes cooking. Once you start assembling the tacos, things move quickly.
No Cheese?
You’ll often see versions of birria tacos loaded with melted cheese—usually called quesabirria. There’s nothing wrong with that, but that’s not what I made here.
These tacos are all about the deeply flavored beef, crisp corn tortillas, onion, cilantro, fresh lime, and that rich consommé for dipping. They don’t need cheese to be delicious.
Serving the Birria Tacos
Serve the tacos as soon as they come out of the skillet, topped with diced white onion and fresh cilantro. Give them a squeeze of fresh lime juice and serve each person a small bowl or cup of warm consommé for dipping.
And don’t be shy about the consommé. That’s half the fun.
Ingredients
- 8-10 Beef Short Ribs
- 3–4 dried guajillo chiles
- 3–4 dried pasilla chiles
- 1–2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 1–2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 cups water, plus more as needed
- 1 cup prepared beef broth
- 1 small white onion, finely diced
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- 15–20 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Heat a dry cast-iron skillet or griddle over low to medium heat.
2
Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo and pasilla chiles. Tear or cut the chiles into large pieces so they can lie relatively flat in the skillet.
3
Smash the garlic cloves, leaving the skins on. Lightly toast the chiles and garlic in the dry skillet until fragrant, working carefully so the chiles don't burn.
4
Transfer the toasted chiles to a high-powered blender. Peel the toasted garlic cloves and add them to the blender.
5
Add 1 cup of hot water to the blender and let the toasted chiles soak for about 10 minutes.
6
Blend the chiles, garlic, and soaking water until smooth. Add the Mexican oregano and cumin and blend briefly again to combine. If your blender doesn't produce a smooth mixture, strain the chile sauce to remove any tough pieces of skin.
7
Place the chuck roast in a large Dutch oven and season it with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
8
Pour the blended chile mixture over the beef. Add the remaining 1 cup water and 1 cup prepared beef broth.
9
Cover the Dutch oven and cook at 325°F for about 2½ hours.
10
Check the level of the consommé. If there doesn't appear to be enough liquid for the remaining cooking time, add up to about 1 additional cup of water.
11
Cover and return the Dutch oven to the oven. Continue cooking for another 30–60 minutes, or until the chuck roast is fork-tender and shreds easily. Total cooking time will usually be about 3–3½ hours.
12
While the beef finishes cooking, prepare the diced white onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
13
Remove the cooked beef from the Dutch oven and let it cool just enough to handle. Shred the beef using two forks or tongs and a fork.
14
Carefully skim some of the rendered beef fat from the top of the consommé and transfer it to a skillet over medium heat. Save the remaining consommé for dipping.
15
Add some of the shredded beef to the skillet and cook briefly until the edges begin to brown and crisp. Remove the beef and set it aside.
16
Dip a corn tortilla into the consommé, coating both sides, then place it in the hot skillet. Cook one or two tortillas at a time, depending on the size of your skillet.
17
As each tortilla cooks, top it with shredded beef, diced white onion, and chopped cilantro. Fold the tortilla and continue cooking until lightly crisp.
18
Repeat with the remaining tortillas and beef, adding more rendered fat to the skillet as needed.
19
Serve the tacos hot with lime wedges and a cup or small bowl of the warm consommé for dipping.
Notes
Guajillo and pasilla chiles provide much of the depth of flavor in this recipe. If you can only find one of the two varieties, you can use more of that chile in place of the other.
Watch the dried chiles carefully while toasting. You want them fragrant and lightly toasted, not burned.
The beef is done when it is fork-tender and shreds easily. Use the 3–3½ hour cooking time as a guide rather than relying on the clock alone.
Save the rendered fat from the consommé—it adds tremendous flavor when crisping the shredded beef and cooking the tortillas.
