Birria

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds chuck roast, cut into large 4-inch chunks
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
• 1.5 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 guajillo chiles
• 5 ancho chiles
• 5 árbol chiles
• 2 large Roma tomatoes
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 1 4-inch Mexican cinnamon stick*
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• water, as needed
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• Cider
• Fish sauce
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano*
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Accoutrement:

• Flour tortillas
• Oaxaca cheese
• Diced white onions
• Lime
• Cilantro
• Shredded Mexican cheese blend
• Avocado

Instructions:

1. Generously season the meat with salt and pepper on all sides, and heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Working in 2 batches, add the meat and sear on all sides until browned. ~4 minutes per side. Remove the pot from the heat, add the seared meat back into the dutch oven, and set aside.
3. While the meat is searing, add the guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, arbol chiles, tomatoes, onion, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and peppercorns to a medium pot. Cover completely with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 1 hour
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles to a plate. Remove stems and attached seeds, and return them to the pot. Also remove cinnamon stick and bay leaves.
5. Add beef broth, fish sauce, cider, white vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, and cloves. Blend on high using immersion blender for a few minutes until completely smooth.
6. Strain the blended sauce through a fine mesh strainer into the dutch oven with the seared meat. Discard any solids left behind.
7. Stir the meat and chile sauce together to combine and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 to 5.5 hours until the meat is fall-apart tender.
8. Pour in more beef stock to maintain liquid levels
9. Transfer the meat to a large bowl and shred it with 2 forks. Add the meat back into the consomé.

Serving as stew:

• serve as a stew in bowls with diced onion and chopped cilantro or as tacos in corn tortillas with shredded Oaxaca cheese, cilantro, and diced onions.

Serving as Quesobirra tacos:

1. Heat up skillet and lightly butter.
2. Put some consomé onto a plate
3. Dip a tortilla into the consomé on both sides. Shake off excess
4. Put the tortilla in the buttered skillet, and put cheese blend and Oaxaca on top to melt
5. Put some meat on top trying to minimize the amount of consomé in the taco.
6. Fold it over when the tortilla is crispy
7. Serve with the consomé on the side

notes: cooked beef for 5.5 hours on stove last time, if cooking for that long again. Probably want to use the oven.

original recipe: https://www.isabeleats.com/authentic-birria/