The Best Beef Birria and Birria Tacos

Step 1

Trim the ends of the chilies and de-seed them. If you cut off the top with kitchen shears, the seeds should fall out).

Step 2

Roughly chop the meat into smaller pieces to fit a large saucepan or Dutch oven.For extra flavor, toast the coriander seeds and peppercorns in the pot first until fragrant (2-3 minutes).

Step 3

Chop the carrot into 2-3 pieces, peel and cut the onion in half, and peel the garlic.

Step 4

Add them to the saucepan with all the spices and broth.

Step 5

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 3-4 hours, or until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally.If you cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, it can become tender in as little as 2 hours. However, it could take up to 6 hours if it's in very large pieces.Check the notes below for alternative cooking methods.

Step 6

About 30 minutes into cooking the birria meat, char the tomatoes over an open flame (or under a broiler) until blackened all over. Leave them to cool until manageable, then peel their skins.

Step 7

Using a slotted spoon, remove the onion, carrot, garlic, and chilies from the pan and transfer them to a blender or food processor along with the tomatoes and a few tablespoons of the stew broth.

Step 8

Blend until smooth, pour back into the saucepan, stir, and cook until the meat is tender.

Step 9

Towards the end of the cooking time, prepare the taco toppings by chopping the onion, cilantro, and lime, and shredding the cheese.

Step 10

When tender, remove the meat from the pan and remove any fatty bits from it.

Step 11

Use two forks to shred the meat.

Step 12

Dip the tortillas directly into the top layer of fat in the stew pot OR skim the fat into a wide bowl first. Also, sieve the stew to remove the spices and bay leaves.

Step 13

Working one at a time, dip the corn tortillas into the reserved fat and fry them in a pre-heated skillet over medium for about 20 seconds per side.

Step 14

To assemble the birria queso tacos, place some cheese, beef, onion, and cilantro into each tortilla, and fold them in two.

Step 15

Transfer them back to the pan (1-2 at a time) and press with a spatula to fry on both sides until crisp and golden. Repeat with the remaining tacos.

Step 16

Once ready, serve the tacos with consommé and lime wedges, and enjoy!If you need to keep the tacos warm until serving, spread them on a baking tray in the oven at 250ºF/120ºC.

Step 17

It's best to store the beef birria and tortillas/taco toppings separately in covered containers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days (or freeze the birria meat for up to 3 months).