“Birria de res is a great Mexican beef dish,” said Dan Tombs. It can also be eaten as a stew like chili con carne. However, they can also be made into the famous birria his tacos by dipping the tortillas in sauce, topping them with meat and cheese, folding the tortillas and frying them in oil. It’s certainly worth the effort. Birria tacos are one of his best dishes.
Ingredients: 8 servings
- Cut 2kg of beef cheek or shoulder loin into approximately 10cm pieces.
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 6 dried guajillos
- 6 dried ancho chili peppers
- 1 large onion, cut into about 8 pieces
- 8 cloves garlic
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1-2 inch real cinnamon stick or 1-2 pinches of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- Apple cider vinegar 70ml
- 1 beef stock cube
- 3 tablespoons rapeseed oil or light olive oil
- water, beef or chicken stock, salt and pepper as needed
Optional garnishes (all to your liking)
- chopped coriander
- pickled onions
- pickled jalapeno slices
- sour cream
- grated cheddar cheese
Method
- Season the meat with salt and set aside. Remove the stems from the chili peppers, tear them from the center, and remove the seeds. Toast the chili peppers in a saucepan over medium heat, turning regularly, for about 3 minutes or until fragrant. Be very careful not to burn it. If it burns, the stew will become bitter. Transfer to a bowl, pour boiling water and leave for about 15 minutes.
- Return to the pot, add the chopped onions, garlic and tomatoes and fry over medium heat until fragrant and slightly charred on the outside. This will take approximately 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and let cool slightly.
- Add the cinnamon, pepper, cumin, marjoram, oregano, vinegar, stock cube, and soaked chili pepper to the blender. Taste the water you soaked the chili peppers in, if it’s bitter, discard it and add 125ml of fresh water to the blender. If not, use it instead of fresh water. Blend until smooth. You can add more soaking water or fresh water as needed to make blending easier. Let’s set it aside.
- Heat oil in a pot over medium heat and fry the meat until lightly browned on the outside. This will take approximately 10 minutes. You don’t want the pan to be overcrowded, so do this in batches if necessary.
- Pour the blended sauce over the top and add enough water or stock to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and gently simmer for 4 to 5 hours, or until the meat is really tender and shreds easily. You can always add more stock or water as needed.
- Once the meat is tender, top with your favorite garnishes and serve.
Recipe from Curry Guy: One Pot – Over 150 Curries and Other Deliciously Spiced Recipes from Around the World by Dan Toomes, published by Quadrille, £27. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £21.99 (including P&P) call 020-3176 3835 or visit: theweekbookshop.co.jp.
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