Representative photo: Tacos de Barba Birria 9 by City Foodsters, CC BY 2.0

Water Buffalo Birria Tacos with Consomé

Name: Water Buffalo Birria Tacos with Consomé
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 kg water buffalo shredding meat, in large chunks; 920 ml water buffalo bone broth; 4 guajillo chiles, seeded; 3 ancho chiles, seeded; 2 chiles de árbol (optional); 3 Roma tomatoes; 1/2 white onion, plus extra chopped onion to serve; 5 garlic cloves; 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 3 whole cloves, 1 small cinnamon stick; 2 bay leaves; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 2 tbsp pork lard, plus more for frying tortillas; 18 corn tortillas, cilantro, limes and salt; 200 g Oaxaca cheese, shredded (optional, for quesabirria)

Birria from Jalisco is all about a deep, brick-red adobo and meat that falls apart after hours in the pot. Organic, grass-fed water buffalo shredding meat is lean yet full of collagen, so it turns silky and the consomé comes out rich without being greasy. Our buffalo bone broth gives the braise a head start on flavor.

Prep30 min
Cook210 min
Total240 min
Servings6

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Ingredients

1 kg water buffalo shredding meat, in large chunks $215
920 ml water buffalo bone broth $495
4 guajillo chiles, seeded
3 ancho chiles, seeded
2 chiles de árbol (optional)
3 Roma tomatoes
1/2 white onion, plus extra chopped onion to serve
5 garlic cloves
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 3 whole cloves, 1 small cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp pork lard, plus more for frying tortillas $340
18 corn tortillas, cilantro, limes and salt
200 g Oaxaca cheese, shredded (optional, for quesabirria)

Instructions

Toast the guajillo, ancho and árbol chiles on a dry comal for 20-30 seconds per side, then soak them in hot water for 15 minutes.
Char the tomatoes, onion and garlic on the comal until blistered.
Blend the drained chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, vinegar and 1 cup of bone broth until very smooth. Strain.
Season the buffalo with salt. Brown it in batches in the lard in a heavy pot.
Pour in the adobo, the rest of the bone broth and the bay leaves. Add water to just cover the meat.
Cover and simmer gently for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the meat shreds easily. Skim the red fat from the surface and save it.
Shred the meat and season the consomé with salt.
Dip each tortilla in the reserved red fat, lay it on a hot comal, fill it with meat (and cheese if you like), fold it and crisp it on both sides.
Serve the tacos with cups of hot consomé topped with chopped onion, cilantro and lime.

Tips

Make the birria a day ahead: the flavor deepens and the fat is easier to lift off the chilled consomé.
Buffalo is lean, so keep the simmer low and slow to keep the meat juicy.