Step 1

Season the beef with salt, pepper, & cumin. Let it rest at room temp for 30 minutes.

Step 2

Deseed the dried chiles and boil for 30 minutes.

Step 3

In a large pot, add 1 tbsp oil and sear all sides of the beef then remove from the pot.

Step 4

Deglaze with 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, then add the onion, tomatoes, and garlic. Scrape the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

Step 5

When the onions and garlic are nicely browned, add the beef back in and cover with water. If you are using beef bones, now would be the time to add them.

Step 6

Add the peppercorns, coriander, cloves, ginger, and bay leaves to the pot in a cheese cloth.

Step 7

Skim off impurities that float to the surface.

Step 8

Reduce heat to medium and cover for 30 minutes.

Step 9

Transfer the chiles from the other pot to a blender with 1/2 cup of the chile water

Step 10

Transfer the onion, tomatoes, garlic, spices, and 1 cup of the broth to the blender as well (after 30 minutes of boiling).

Step 11

Add chicken bouillon, oregano, cumin, thyme, and 3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar.

Step 12

Blend until smooth, adding more chile water if needed.

Step 13

Strain into the pot through a sieve until the chunks won't go through. You can discard this if you want to but I highly recommend putting it back into the blender with some of the broth and repeating the process until there is only a small amount to be discarded.

Step 14

Optional: add chipotle adobo sauce. I like a bit of smokiness but some may think it's too overpowering.

Step 15

Stir everything and then add salt to taste. Add more chile water if the stew is too thick.

Step 16

Cover on low heat for 2 to 2.5 hours.

Step 17

Remove the beef, let it cool and shred it.

Step 18

Add oil to a pan, dip a corn tortilla into the consome (broth) and put it in the pan. Note: if you used beef bones for your broth, you will see a lot of oil at the surface. You can use this oil for frying the tortilla- it will add amazing flavor.

Step 19

First add shredded cheese, then beef, then fold the tortilla over and press down to push a little bit of the cheese out for crispy cheesy edges.

Step 20

When the cheese starts to crisp up on the edges, flip over.

Step 21

Top with cilantro and chopped onions, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Serve with a side of the consome to dip your birria tacos into.