Description
Authentic Birria is a traditional Mexican stew made with tender, slow-cooked chuck roast simmered in a rich, smoky blend of dried chiles, aromatic spices, and beef broth. This flavorful dish can be enjoyed as a comforting stew or served as tacos with delightful accompaniments like onions, cilantro, and Oaxaca cheese for an unforgettable meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 4 to 5 pounds chuck roast, cut into large 4-inch chunks
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
Chiles and Vegetables
- 12 guajillo chiles, rinsed, stemmed, and seeded (about 2.5 oz)
- 5 ancho chiles, rinsed, stemmed, and seeded (about 2 oz)
- 5 árbol chiles, rinsed and stemmed (about 0.1 oz)
- 2 large Roma tomatoes
- ½ medium yellow onion
Spices and Herbs
- 1 4-inch Mexican cinnamon stick
- 3 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
Liquids
- Water, as needed
- 2 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
Instructions
- Season and Sear the Meat: Generously season the chuck roast chunks with kosher salt and black pepper on all sides. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, add the meat and sear it on all sides until nicely browned. Remove the browned meat and set aside in the pot.
- Prepare the Chile Broth: While the meat is searing, combine guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles, Roma tomatoes, yellow onion, Mexican cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and whole black peppercorns in a medium pot. Cover the ingredients completely with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes to soften the chiles and vegetables.
- Blend the Sauce: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles, tomatoes, onion, cinnamon, bay leaves, and peppercorns to a large blender. Add 1 cup of the chile-soaked cooking water from the pot, beef broth, distilled white vinegar, garlic cloves, ground cumin, dried Mexican oregano, and ground cloves. Blend on high speed until completely smooth. You may need to blend in two batches if your blender is not large enough.
- Strain and Combine: Strain the blended sauce through a fine mesh strainer into the pot containing the seared meat. Discard any solids left behind in the strainer. Stir well to combine the meat and chile sauce thoroughly.
- Simmer until Tender: Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and let it simmer gently for 3 to 3 ½ hours. Cook until the meat is tender enough to shred easily with forks.
- Shred and Serve: Remove the meat from the pot and transfer it to a large bowl. Shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded meat to the consomé (the cooking broth) and mix well. Serve hot as a stew garnished with diced onion and chopped cilantro, or assemble as flavorful birria tacos using corn tortillas, shredded Oaxaca cheese, cilantro, and diced onions.
Notes
- Authentic Mexican Birria can be served as a hearty stew with toppings like onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- For birria tacos, dip the tortillas in the rich consomé before frying them for extra flavor and moisture.
- Mexican cinnamon and Mexican oregano are key to achieving the authentic flavor profile; if unavailable, substitute with regular cinnamon sticks and dried oregano but the taste will slightly differ.
- Adjust the number of chiles to control the level of spiciness according to personal preference.
- This dish can be made ahead and tastes even better the next day as flavors deepen over time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 640 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 803 mg
- Fat: 37 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 23 g
- Trans Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 59 g
- Cholesterol: 196 mg
