Equipment
Ingredients
Meat
- 1000 g beef chuck roast, cut into large 5cm chunks
- 500 g beef short ribs, bone-in
- 30 ml vegetable oil
Adobo Base
- 5 dried guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 3 dried ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried pasilla chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 1 white onion, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic, peeled
- 3 roma tomatoes, halved
- 3 g mexican oregano, dried
- 3 g cumin seeds, toasted
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 whole cloves
- 3 g black peppercorns
- 30 ml apple cider vinegar
- 1000 ml beef broth
- 20 g kosher salt
Assembly
- 12 corn tortillas
- 300 g oaxaca cheese, shredded
- 1 white onion, finely diced
- 30 g fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 386 kcal
- Protein
- 35 g
- Carbohydrates
- 19 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1254 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 80 mg
- Potassium
- 755 mg
- Calcium
- 216 mg
- Iron
- 4.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 58 mg
- Phosphorus
- 363 mg
- Zinc
- 9.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 141 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 8 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 11 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 3.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.12 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.31 mg
- Niacin
- 6.2 mg
- Folate
- 16 mcg
- Water
- 200 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chilies for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, turning frequently to avoid burning.
Place the toasted chilies, tomatoes, roughly chopped onion, and garlic in a pot. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes until the chilies are fully softened.
Transfer the softened chilies, tomatoes, onion, and garlic to a blender. Add the oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, apple cider vinegar, salt, and 250ml of the beef broth. Blend on high until completely smooth, then pass the adobo through a fine mesh strainer to remove any fibrous bits.
Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Generously season the beef chunks and short ribs with salt. Sear the meat in batches until a deep brown crust forms on all sides, then remove to a plate.
Return all the beef to the Dutch oven. Pour the strained adobo sauce over the meat and add the remaining 750ml of beef broth. Bring to a simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and transfer to the preheated oven at 150°C/300°F for 3 hours.
Carefully remove the meat from the broth and shred it using two forks, discarding any bones or large pieces of gristle. Skim the brightly colored fat off the top of the remaining broth (consomme) and reserve it in a small bowl. Keep the remaining consomme warm.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Dip a corn tortilla into the reserved beef fat, coating both sides, and place it in the skillet. Immediately top the entire tortilla with shredded Oaxaca cheese.
Add a portion of the shredded beef to one half of the tortilla. Once the cheese begins to melt and bubble, fold the tortilla in half over the meat. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side until the tortilla is deeply crisp and golden red.
Remove the tacos to a wire rack or paper towels. Serve immediately, garnished with finely diced white onion and cilantro, accompanied by lime wedges and small bowls of the warm consomme for dipping.
Chef's Notes
- The fat that rises to the top of the braising liquid is liquid gold. Skimming it is essential not only for the texture of the consomme but because it contains the toasted chili oils necessary for crisping the tortillas.
- Oaxaca cheese is traditional for its superior melting qualities, but low-moisture mozzarella or a mild provolone will provide a similar stretch and fat content if Oaxaca is unavailable.
- Bone-in short ribs are vital to this recipe. The collagen from the bones breaks down during the long braise, giving the consomme a rich, lip-smacking viscosity that you cannot achieve with chuck roast alone.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store the meat, consomme, and assembly ingredients in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the shredded meat and consomme only. Do not freeze assembled tacos.
Reheating: Reheat the consomme and meat on the stove until simmering, then assemble and fry fresh tacos according to the original instructions.
Troubleshooting
Tortillas fall apart and tear while frying
Cause: Tortillas were soaked too long in the fat or were too fresh and moist
Fix: Double up the tortillas, placing a second dipped tortilla underneath the torn one while frying
Prevention: Use slightly stale tortillas, and only dip them briefly into the fat right before hitting the pan
Meat is tough or chewy after 3 hours
Cause: Oven temperature was too high causing a rapid boil, or meat needed more time
Fix: Return the pot to the oven and check every 30 minutes until tender
Prevention: Ensure the liquid only maintains a gentle simmer in the oven
Consomme is bitter
Cause: Dried chilies were toasted too long and burned
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Toast chilies for no more than 2 minutes and remove immediately once fragrant
Cultural Context
Birria originated in the Mexican state of Jalisco, traditionally made with goat meat for celebratory occasions. The modern quesabirria taco, utilizing beef and melted cheese, gained explosive popularity in Tijuana before becoming a beloved staple of the street food scene in California and beyond. Serving the intensely flavored braising liquid, or consomme, as a dipping sauce honors the dish's roots as a restorative stew.
