Birria

Rehydrate the dried chiles.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
2. Turn off the heat, add the guajillo chiles and arbol chiles to the hot water, cover and soak for 15 minutes.
3. After you’ve soaked the guajillo and arbol chilies, remove them from the water and set aside one cup of the chili soaking water.
4. Cut off the stem of the chiles, slice them open and remove the seeds.

Prepare the marinade.

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
4. Transfer the onions and garlic to a blender.
5. Add the entire can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, the entire can of crushed tomatoes and apple cider vinegar to the blender.
6. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, cloves and cumin to the blender.
7. Add the soaked chiles and cup of chili soaking water to the blender.
8. Blend until smooth.

Marinate the beef.

1. Place the chunks of beef in a deep casserole dish and pour the sauce from the blender over the beef.
2. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 6-8 hours.

Cook the birria.

1. After the beef has marinated, preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Heat a large dutch oven over high heat on the stove.
3. Use tongs to remove the pieces of beef from the marinade and add them to the hot pan on the stove.
4. Sear the beef on all sides for 1-2 minutes, then pour the marinating liquid over the beef in the pan.
5. Add the beef stock to the pan and bring the liquid to a boil.
6. Once boiling, add the cinnamon stick and bay leaves.
7. Place a tight-fitting lid on the dutch oven, or if you do not have a lid, cover tightly with foil.
8. Remove from the stove and place in the preheated 350°F oven for 2 hours.
9. After 2 hours, remove the birria from the oven and use a slotted spoon to remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves from the dutch oven.
10. Use tongs to remove the pieces of beef from the liquid and place them on a cutting board.
11. Use two forks, or meat claws, to shred the beef.
12. Depending on how you’re going to serve the birria, you can either add the beef back to the broth, or keep it separate.
13. If serving the birria traditionally as a soup or stew, place the beef back into the broth and use a ladle to serve the stew in bowls, topped with fresh cilantro and diced onions.
14. Refer to the blog post above for other ways to use the birria, like in tacos, ramen, quesadillas and more.