Birria de Res -- Beef Birria
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
6 hrs
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Servings
8
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Calories
438 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Mexican
Birria de Res -- Beef Birria
Description
This Beef Birria recipe begins by roasting Roma tomatoes and toasting ancho and New Mexican chiles to release their flavor. The chiles are soaked to soften, while onions and garlic are sautéed to build savory depth. Beef brisket chunks are seasoned, seared until browned, and combined with the chile mixture plus stock and spices like cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and clove. The components are slow-cooked—either in a slow cooker or on the stove—until the beef is tender and infused with the complex layered flavors from the chiles and spices.
The dish results in rich, tender meat and a flavorful broth, often served in tacos using corn tortillas. Traditional garnishes include salsa de aguacate, finely chopped onions, cilantro, and lime wedges that brighten the hearty stew. This preparation allows personalization by using differing chile varieties and heat levels.
A practical tip includes that the recipe can be adapted for stove-top simmering instead of slow cooking. Adjusting the chipotle peppers or drying chile mix changes the heat intensity. Additionally, if the chile soaking liquid tastes bitter, it is better to replace it with stock. The salsa de aguacate recipe complements this dish well.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. beef brisket or chuck roast
- 4-5 Roma tomato
- 1 onion
- 6 garlic cloves
- 3-4 ancho chile dried
- 2-3 dried New Mexican chile
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo optional
- 1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can, optional
- 2 cups stock
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of ground clove
- 2 teaspoons salt plus more to taste
- black pepper freshly cracked
- olive oil
For the tacos (optional):
- corn tortillas
- salsa de aguacate
- onion finely chopped, raw
- cilantro
- lime squeeze
Instructions
- Start by rinsing and de-stemming the tomatoes. Roast them in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes or until you need them.
- Wipe off any dusty crevasses on the dried chiles. De-stem and de-seed the chiles, but don't worry about getting rid of every last seed. Roast them in the oven for 1-2 minutes or until warm and fragrant. Add the chile pieces to a bowl and cover them with the hottest tap water you've got. Let them reconstitute for 20 minutes or so.
- Roughly chop 1 onion and peel 6 garlic cloves. Add a glug of oil to a skillet on medium heat and saute the onions and whole garlic cloves. Once the onion has softened and lightly browned you can add this mixture to the blender.
- Add a thin layer of oil to a skillet and preheat to medium-high. Chop up the brisket into chunks and give it a good salting. Sear each side of the beef in the skillet for a few minutes or until it is browning. Add the seared meat pieces to the slow cooker. You can optionally deglaze the pan with the 2 cups of stock that's used to liquefy the sauce.
- Before draining the reconstituted chiles take a taste of the soaking liquid. If it tastes bitter to you then use stock for the sauce. If you like the flavor you are welcome to use the soaking liquid in place of the stock.
- Add the drained chiles, roasted tomatoes, and the onion-garlic mixture to a blender along with: 2 cups of stock (or what you used to deglaze the meat pan), 2 chipotles in adobo (optional), 1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can (optional), 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, pinch of ground clove, 2 teaspoons salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Combine well. Note: if you're using stock that's high in sodium you can consider starting with a single teaspoon of salt and going from there.
- Take a taste of the sauce. An easy to way to add more heat is to add an additional half or whole chipotle. Keep in mind that the sauce has to compete with the big flavor of the beef so I tend to make it salty and fiery at this point.
- Cover the seared meat pieces with the sauce. Slow cook on low for 4-6 hours.
- Once cooked you can optionally skim off any fat that has risen to the surface. Shred the beef using two forks and discard any fatty chunks that you don't want to eat.
- Add the shredded beef (or as much as you are using for tonight's meal) to a separate bowl and add enough sauce to give it a thorough coating. Adding the sauce to the shredded beef is the key so don't skip this step!
- One serving option is to simply add the shredded beef back to the sauce and serve it soup style -- you may need to thin out the sauce with some stock if you choose this option.
- But I chose tacos for this batch. Add corn tortillas to a dry skillet over medium heat along with slices of cheese. Once the cheese is melted and the underside of the tortillas are forming light brown spots they are ready to go. You can optionally add the meat to the tortillas in the skillet for a quick reheat.
- I topped these tacos with Salsa de Aguacate, finely chopped raw onion, freshly chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
- Store leftover Birria in the fridge where it will keep for a few days.
Notes
- Slow cooking can be substituted by covered stovetop simmering for several hours for similar results.
- Feel free to experiment with different dried chiles to adjust flavor and heat.
- Use fewer chipotle peppers or omit them for a milder birria.
- If the chile soaking liquid tastes bitter, discard it and use stock instead.
- Serve with corn tortillas, salsa de aguacate, chopped raw onion, cilantro, and lime for traditional tacos.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 438 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 438kcal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 19g | 6% |
| Protein | 50g | 100% |
| Fat | 18g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Cholesterol | 141mg | 47% |
| Sodium | 1351mg | 56% |
| Potassium | 1227mg | 26% |
| Fiber | 7g | 28% |
| Sugar | 10g | 20% |
| Vitamin A | 5452IU | 109% |
| Vitamin C | 13mg | 14% |
| Calcium | 47mg | 5% |
| Iron | 6mg | 33% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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