This Birria – a Mexican Stew is so good! I’ve been trying to post this recipe all week while in Cabo but the internet has been so slow I haven’t been able to. Ugh! Every time I travel I think I’ll be able to post as I’m there with local foods and experiences, but the internet is often a problem.
I’ve made this twice, once at home and once in Cabo which we made last week. This is a beef stew that you cook with dried guajillo chile and others if you like, that you remove after about an hour of cooking and they are soft, and then purée and add back in to the stew and allow to cook until fork tender. Absolutely delicious!
amazing birria – a mexican stew.
I used chuck and beef bones to make the stew. This is so similar to an American beef stew. Typically potatoes aren’t added, but you could. I also add carrots that I don’t think are typical, but I like to add them for added flavor. The stew is started with adding the beef and beef bones to simmering water along with the chiles, garlic, onions and some carrots to add flavor. Then I bring it to a boil, skimming off the impurities caused from the beef bones to insure a clear consommé. I then cook for about an hour, remove the chile and puree, add it back in and allow to continue cooking.
To serve, you spoon the meat and consommé into a bowl and top with fresh onions, cilantro and shredded cabbage! Serve with some limes and tortillas and you have a delicious Mexican stew! Everyone loved it.
I served this in a beautiful plain white bowl. They’re a little oversized, but I like that. Here’s a link for the bowls I used: https://amzn.to/3avR53a
amazing birria – a mexican stew.
I make extra when I make this recipe because the best, in my opinion is the leftovers in tacos! I make a chile oil that I dip tortillas in after I have dipped them in the leftover consommé, then place them on a hot griddle and load them with leftover beef, the onions, cilantro, cabbage and a good melting cheese like mozzarella or Monterrey Jack, then fry them on the griddle until they have crisped a little and the cheese is melted and oozing! Yum! so delicious.
When they are done, serve them with a cup or bowl of the consommé and more of the chile oil, fresh limes.
Here’s the recipe for the tacos!!
Ok, here you go, the recipe for the Birria. It’s not complicated and I promise you will love it!
Birria Tacos with Consomme
Ingredients
- water (See note in instruction)
- 2 lbs beef bones (optional)
- 5 lbs chuck roast or brisket (I prefer brisket)
- 1 large onion
- 1 whole garlic, halved through the middle
- 4 bay leaves
- 2-3 epazote or bay leaves
- 5 carrots, halved or quartered
- 5 5 guajillo chiles or New Mexico chile,
- 5 pasilla chiles
- 2 ancho chiles
- 3 tbsp chicken bullion or cubes
- 1 tbsp salt
- dried chile powder if needed
Birria Chili Oil
- 4 Guajillo chiles plus 1 extra for infusing the oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tbsp Mexican Oregano
- 1/2 tbsp chicken bullion
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves or 2 whole cloves
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
- For a spicier add 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Toppings
- 1/2 chopped white onion
- 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro
- 1/4 head finely shredded green cabbage
- lemon or lime to taste
For the Tacos
- Corn tortillas
- Good melting cheese like Mozzarella, Munster or Oaxaca
- leftover toppings, onions, cabbage and cilantro
- leftover consommé
- leftover beef
- chile oil
Instructions
- Bring the water to almost a boil. If you're using a large pot start with about 16 cups of water. If not add maybe 8 to 10 cups, add your ingredients, then add more water to cover the ingredients. You want the roast and bones covered. Add the beef bones and the chuck roast to the water. Then add your onion and your dried chiles. Add the whole garlic, bay leaves and carrots. Add the salt and the chicken bullion.
- Make sure you have enough water to cover the meat. Start the meat to a boil and when the impurities start to come out from the beef bones, remove with a skimmer. Allow the beef and other ingredients to continue to simmer for about an hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare your chile oil. Remove the seeds and stems from the 4 Guajillo Chile. Place the chiles, bay leaves, chicken bullion, pepper, cloves, garlic powder, and the sugar (reserving the oregano for later) into a blender or coffee grinder and make a powder. Crumble the other chile and set aside.
- Heat the chile oil to frying point, then remove from heat. Add the crumbled chile and cook, stirring until the crumbled chile is crisp. Remove the chile and reserve.
- In a bowl, add the spice blend, the oregano and add the hot oil, mixing quickly.
- Go back to the simmering meat and check your seasoning, If you need a little more flavor add a little more chicken bullion, a little at a time until the desired saltiness is reached. Now, remove the chiles in the simmering meat pot and and add to a blender . Blend the chile with a little broth until it's smooth. Add a little broth to our blender so you can get all the puree out. Now add the chile that you fried into a blender with a little broth and puree, then add it to your beef stew mixture. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 hours until the meat it falling apart and tender.
- At this point I like to remove the meat, carrots and the bones to a bowl. you don't have to, but at this time I like to strain the broth because you added a whole garlic with the skins on. When you strain, press the garlic trough the strainer as much as possible with a spoon.
- Add the broth back to the pot and your meat that you took off the bones and the roast itself that you have cut into pieces. Some do not strain at this point, so you don't have to. Also, if you want to add fresh carrots and cook until they are tender.
- To serve, add some of the meat to a bowl along with the consommé. Add your toppings and a little of the chile oil drizzled on. Serve with some lime juice! Delicious!
For the tacos
- Heat your grill or gridle to medium high. Dip each corn tortilla into the consommé, then the chile oil and place them on the griddle or grill. Top with some cheese first, then the meat, then the onions, cilantro and cabbage, more cheese, fold over and cook on both sides flipping until a little crisp and cheese is melted.Serve with a cup of the consommé for dipping and additional chile oil.
