Beef Birria (Birria de Res)

Step 1

Before preparing the meat, you will want to prepare the chiles for the sauce. First, cut the chiles open and remove the stems and seeds. In a small saucepan, toast the chiles over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes to release the chile oils. Stir constantly and remove from heat if they begin to char. They burn easily!

Step 2

Add 2 cups of hot water to the pan, turn off the heat, and allow chiles to soak for 15 minutes.

Step 3

While chiles are soaking, prepare the meat. Remove beef from packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Cut beef into chunks, season with salt, and set aside. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef to the Dutch oven and sear until brown on all sides. Avoid overcrowding the meat while browning. You may have to do this in batches to accomplish this. Remove the beef from the Dutch oven and set aside. In the same Dutch oven (do not clean out), prepare the sauce.

Step 4

Reduce heat to medium heat. Cut the onions and tomatoes into fourths and place in the Dutch oven with the garlic cloves. Cook, stirring often and gently, until onions have browned on all sides and tomatoes are soft.

Step 5

Use a slotted spoon to remove chiles from the soaking water and add chiles to the Dutch oven. Discard soaking water. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Step 6

Deglaze the Dutch oven by adding one quart of the beef broth a little at a time while scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula. Scrape up as much of the browned bits and cooked-on layers as you can into the sauce (that's pure flavor). Reserve the remaining beef broth to thin the sauce later if needed.

Step 7

Add remaining sauce ingredients and cook another 5 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and allow to cool until you can safely scoop all of the sauce contents into a blender. Do not clean out the Dutch oven. You are still going to use it.

Step 8

Blend or puree the sauce ingredients until smooth. Set aside

Step 9

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.Place the beef pieces back into the Dutch oven and cover with the sauce. If you want a thinner sauce, add more of the beef broth until you reach your desired thickness.

Step 10

Place the lid on the Dutch oven and place in the oven for 3 1/2 hours or until beef is completely cooked through and shreds easily.When you remove the birria from the oven, you may notice the some of the oils from the beef has risen to the top. You can skim some of these oils off or you can leave it in for added flavor.

Step 11

Garnish birria with fresh cilantro, chopped onions, and/or sliced radishes. Serve in bowls as a soup/stew.

Step 12

Remove the meat from the sauce and place on a cutting board. Shred the beef and place in a bowl. Add some of the sauce to the meat to keep it from drying out. Serve with tortillas or use as a filling for enchiladas, burritos, and more!

Step 13

Reserve the rest of the sauce to use as a consommé for dipping birria tacos or quesabirria.