Birria Tacos

  

I have been carrying on a love affair with Mexican food since I first tasted it some 40 odd years ago.  It was not something that we grew up with. My parents did not really go in for foreign food. The only spices my father liked mom to use was salt and pepper.

She did get away with cooking us what she called "Italian Spaghetti" now and then and it was nothing more than a pound of ground beef cooked with a can of Catelli spaghetti sauce and served over noodles. Not my favorite thing.

 

She discovered oregano when I was in high school, and she started using that in everything. She also discovered Chili con Carne, which was a recipe from off a tin of tomato soup. I wasn't fond of that either, but my father loved it.

Then there was pizza which one of my boyfriends taught us how to make using boxed Chef Boy Ar Dee Pizza mix. That was as foreign as we got in our home!

 

The first real Mexican experience I had was when my children were growing up and I tried a recipe for Enchiladas out of a Sunset cooking book. The original recipe was for Chicken Enchiladas, but I made them with leftover turkey.  We all loved them.

We all fell in love with Mexican food and it's a love affair that has been growing ever since!  I have never been to Mexico, but I love the flavors. 

There was a Mexican restaurant in Fredericton we used to love to go to called Mexicali Rosa's. They brought fresh tortilla chips and salsa to the table while you were waiting. I loved to order the fajitas or the tacos.

 

I saw this birria tacos recipe on a blog called Grandbaby Cakes.  They looked fabulous.  I could not wait to try them. I ordered some special ingredients that were needed from Amazon and then I made a half recipe of them, and they were the most delicious tacos I have ever eaten.

Fork tender, rich, and succulent beef in a rich adobo sauce, with plenty of cheese, all tucked into corn tortillas and fried until crispy.  Served with a spicy broth for dipping.  It doesn't get much better than this!  

    WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BIRRIA TACOS

There are actually two components to the dish.   A feisty and delicious chili paste that you make first and then there is the beef and stuff needed for the broth.  It looks like a long list, but it's mostly spices.

For the chili paste:

• 2 dried ancho chilies
• 1 dried guajillo chili
• 2 Chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup (60ml) crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 TBS red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp whole oregano leaf
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp paprika

For the meat and dipping sauce:

• 1/2 TBS light olive oil
• 1 3/4 pounds of beef, cut into chunks
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 2 cups (480ml) beef stock or broth
• 1 cup (140ml) water

For the Taco assembly:

• 9 corn tortillas
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• chopped fresh coriander/cilantro
• shredded Oaxaca or Monterrey Jack cheese (I used Jack)

 

I ordered the dry chilies and the chilies in adobo sauce from Amazon.  I had everything else in my store cupboard. For the meat I used a round roast that I bought marked down, which I cut up into cubes. It worked beautifully. You could also use lamb if you can find it.

I buy my corn tortillas at Sobey's here in Nova Scotia. They are actual real corn tortillas from Mexico!

About a week after I made these my friend Victoria in California send me some Mexican chilies from where she lives along with a Mexican tablecloth, so next time I cook Tex-Mex, you will have a much more adventurous background to see! 

HOW TO MAKE BIRRIA TACOS

You might think these are complicated, but they are very simple. Basically, they are just stewed meat, shredded, stuffed into a tortilla with cheese and onion and fried.  Served with a broth for dipping. Kind of like a Mexican French Dip. (LOL talk about fusion!)

Start by making the chili paste. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Add about 1 cup/240ml of water to a medium size pot and bring to the boil. Add the chilies, cover and leave to sit off the heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

At the end of that time add the chilies to a heavy-duty blender or food processor along with the remaining ingredients for the paste. Blend until smooth and thick.

Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3. Add the oil to a flame proof casserole dish and heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Brown it in batches in the hot oil, removing it to a bowl as it browns.

When the meat is done, add the onion to the pan and sauté until it starts to brown. Return the meat to the pan along with the chili paste. Add the bouillon cube, and water to the casserole and give everything a good stir. Bring to a simmer and then cover.

 

Roast/braise in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is falling apart. Remove from the meat from the broth and shred with two forks. Taste and adjust seasoning on the broth as desired. Remove and set aside about 3/4 cup of the broth (about half). 

Return the beef to the remaining broth. To the reserved broth add some coriander and the onion. Set aside for use as the dipping sauce.

Heat a knob of butter or some oil in a skillet over medium heat. Dip a tortilla into the top part of the broth in the casserole. 

Fry for a few seconds in the oil, and then flip over. Top with meat, onion, coriander and cheese allowing the cheese to melt and get gooey. Remove from the pan. 

Repeat with all of the tortillas. Serve with the dipping sauce and enjoy!

These are a truly amazingly delicious treat. I am in love with them!  My recipe makes 9 which is more than enough for two people to enjoy with leftovers for the next day. (Everyone loves leftover tacos right?)

If you are a fan of Tex Mex you just might also enjoy these recipes:

QUICK & EASY BAKED CHICKEN TACOS -These are so quick to throw together. You can have them made, baked and on the table in about 20 minutes, ready to enjoy. Not only are they quick and easy, but they are also very delicious! 

CHICKEN FAJITAS -These delicious Fajitas are a tiny bit different than the usual. Sized for two but can easily be doubled. You need to marinate the chicken for 1/2 hour prior to cooking. 

Birria Tacos

Yield: 9 tacos

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 2 H & 30 MTotal time: 2 H & 50 M

I half sized a recipe for these delicious tacos filled with tender beef in a rich adobo broth. Fried to perfection they are delicious enjoyed repeatedly dipped into that lush sauce/broth.

Ingredients

For the chili paste:

• 2 dried ancho chilies
• 1 dried guajillo chili
• 2 Chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup (60ml) crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 TBS red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp whole oregano leaf
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp paprika

For the meat and dipping sauce:

• 1/2 TBS light olive oil
• 1 3/4 pounds of beef, cut into chunks
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 2 cups (480ml) beef stock or broth
• 1 cup (140ml) water

For the Taco assembly:

• 9 corn tortillas
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• chopped fresh coriander/cilantro
• shredded Oaxaca or Monterrey Jack cheese

Instructions

1. Start by making the chili paste. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Add about 1 cup/240ml of water to a medium size pot and bring to the boil. Add the chilies, cover and leave to sit off the heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. At the end of that time add the chilies to a heavy-duty blender or food processor along with the remaining ingredients for the paste. Blend until smooth and thick.
3. Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3.
4. Add the oil to a flame proof casserole dish and heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Brown it in batches in the hot oil, removing it to a bowl as it browns.
5. When the meat is done, add the onion to the pan and sauté until it starts to brown. Return the meat to the pan along with the chili paste.
6. Add the bouillon cube, and water to the casserole and give everything a good stir. Bring to a simmer and then cover.
7. Roast/braise in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is falling apart.
8. Remove from the meat from the broth and shred with two forks.
9. Taste and adjust seasoning on the broth as desired. Remove and set aside about 3/4 cup of the broth (about half) and set aside. Return the beef to the broth.
10. To the reserved broth add some coriander and the onion. Set aside for use as the dipping sauce.
11. Heat a knob of butter or some oil in a skillet over medium heat.
12. Dip a tortilla into the top part of the broth in the casserole. Fry for a few seconds and then flip over. Top with meat, onion, coriander and cheese allowing the cheese to melt and get gooey. Remove from the pan.
13. Repeat with all of the tortillas. Serve with the dipping sauce and enjoy!

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