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Birria tacos with consomme
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5 from 35 votes

Birria Tacos With Consomme

Birria Tacos with Consommé are made with rich, succulent beef simmered in an array of spices and Mexican chilies, then tucked into a crispy corn tortilla and dunked in divine consommé.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Pressurize Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Beef, chilies
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 672kcal
Author: Laura Lynch

Equipment

  • Dutch oven or large pot
  • Blender
  • Frying pan

Ingredients

For the Birria:

  • 1 dried ancho chilies
  • 2 dried guajillo chilies
  • 1 new Mexican dried chiles
  • 1 dried chile de árbol
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless chuck roast boneless short ribs, or goat meat, cut into 3" chunks
  • 1 teaspoons coarse Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 1/2 small onion thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 inch fresh ginger peeled
  • 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef stock

For the tacos:

  • 4 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup Oaxaca or other meltable Mexican cheese shredded
  • 2 tablespoons white onion diced
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
  • Lime slices
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Remove the stems and seeds of all the peppers.
  • Set a 5-quart pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Put the peppers in the dry pan and toast until aromatic, about 5 minutes. Remove the chilis from the pot.
  • Add the cooking oil to the pot. Season the beef chunks with salt and pepper, then place them in the pot and sear for 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer beef to a plate.
  • Add the onion to the pot and saute for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
  • Add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, oregano, black peppercorns, cumin, coriander, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, and ginger. Whisk to combine and saute for just 30 seconds.
  • Pour in the beef stock. Deglaze the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits.
  • Return the chilis and beef to the pot. Make sure all the chilis are submerged.
  • Cover with a lid and cook for 3-4 hours, until the meat is fork tender.
  • Discard the bay leaf, cinnamon, and ginger. Transfer the beef to a cutting board or bowl and shred with 2 forks.
  • Blend the liquid and chilis in the pot with an immersion blender. If you don't have one, put some of the liquid and all the chilis in a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the pot.
  • Add the shredded beef back to the pot. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.
  • To make tacos, heat a skillet over medium heat. Dip a tortilla into the birria sauce, then place it on the skillet and cook on both sides until slightly toasted.
  • Add some cheese to one side of the tortilla and some beef to the other. Close the tortilla and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until the cheese is melted.
  • Transfer to a plate, garnish with onion, cilantro, and lime slices. Serve hot with a bowl of the consommé on the side for dipping.

Notes

  • The heat in the sauce comes mostly from the chile de árbol. If you don’t like it spicy, add less. If you want more heat, add more.
  • You can also leave in more of the seeds for more spiciness.
  • There’s no need to rehydrate the chilis before using them. They will rehydrate in the pot.
  • If you can’t find dried chilis, there aren’t many good fresh substitutions. I highly recommend trying to find at least 1-2 types of dried chilis. Be sure to remove the seeds!

Nutrition

Calories: 672kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 1461mg | Potassium: 1074mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2616IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 5mg