Representative photo: Birria de Mexico.jpg by Janeefun, CC BY-SA 4.0

Birria de Res (Beef Birria with Consomé)

Name: Birria de Res (Beef Birria with Consomé)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 40 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1.5 kg organic grass-fed chuck roast, cut into large chunks; 1 kg organic grass-fed short ribs; 2 organic grass-fed ossobuco slices (beef shank); 6 guajillo chiles, 3 ancho chiles and 2–4 chiles de árbol, stemmed and seeded; 3 Roma tomatoes; 1 white onion, halved; 8 garlic cloves; 1 tsp cumin seeds, 4 cloves, 5 allspice berries, 1 small cinnamon stick; 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano, 3 bay leaves; 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; Salt; To serve: chopped onion, cilantro, limes, corn tortillas, Oaxaca cheese for quesatacos

Birria is Jalisco's legendary weekend stew: beef slow-cooked in a deep red adobo of dried chiles and spices until it falls apart, served with its own rich consomé. Using three grass-fed cuts—chuck for meat, short ribs for richness and ossobuco for gelatin—gives a broth with body and a clean, beefy flavor.

Prep40 min
Cook240 min
Total280 min
Servings8

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Ingredients

1.5 kg organic grass-fed chuck roast, cut into large chunks $475
1 kg organic grass-fed short ribs $505
2 organic grass-fed ossobuco slices (beef shank) $385
6 guajillo chiles, 3 ancho chiles and 2–4 chiles de árbol, stemmed and seeded
3 Roma tomatoes
1 white onion, halved
8 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds, 4 cloves, 5 allspice berries, 1 small cinnamon stick
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano, 3 bay leaves
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Salt
To serve: chopped onion, cilantro, limes, corn tortillas, Oaxaca cheese for quesatacos

Instructions

Season the meat generously with salt. Toast the dried chiles briefly on a comal, then soak them in hot water for 15 minutes.
Char the tomatoes, half the onion and the garlic on the comal. Lightly toast the cumin, cloves, allspice and cinnamon.
Blend the soaked chiles, charred vegetables, spices, oregano and vinegar with 2 cups of soaking water until very smooth; strain.
Coat the meat with half the adobo and marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge.
Place the meat in a large pot with the rest of the adobo, bay leaves and enough water to cover (about 2.5 liters). Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently for 3½–4 hours until fork-tender.
Remove the meat, shred it and discard the bones (spread the marrow into the broth). Skim some of the red fat from the top and reserve it for the tortillas.
Season the consomé with salt and simmer 10 more minutes.
Serve the meat in bowls of consomé with onion, cilantro and lime—or dip tortillas in the reserved fat, fill with meat and cheese and griddle into quesatacos for dunking.