Step 1

Soak the dried chiles in hot water for at least 10 minutes while browning your beef.

Step 2

Heat a dutch oven or large casserole over medium-high heat, and add avocado oil and chunks of beef. Brown the beef, turning to brown each side, but not cook through. Season the beef with Kosher salt and black pepper.Brown the beef in batches, to ensure that the chunks have space so they brown without steaming. Remove browned pieces of meat from the pot and set aside.

Step 3

Into the hot pan, add the onions and garlic. Sauce until softened, about 7 minutes. Add water if necessary to prevent burning.

Step 4

Into the pot, add the soaked and drained chiles, the beef stock, diced tomatoes, and spices. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and allow to cook until everything has softened, about 30 minutes.

Step 5

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Step 6

Transfer the chile and tomato mixture to a blender in batches, processing until smooth. Return the sauce to the dutch oven.

Step 7

Add the beef back into the pot along with the chile sauce, stirring to coat the beef. If the sauce seems very thick, add an additional 1/2 cup of beef stock. Put the lid on the dutch oven and bake for 2-3 hours, depending on which cut of beef used.

Step 8

Remove the chunks of meat from the pan, and shred them by pressing on them with a fork, or using two forks to pull each piece apart. Reserve the leftover chile sauce to serve alongside the beef. The chili sauce is used to coat the tortillas for Birria Tacos, so if you’re making the tacos, plan on keeping the sauce to use.

Step 9

Serve the beef birria garnished with chopped white onions and cilantro, with the reserved chile sauce on the side.