Legendary Birria Tacos

By RecipeTin Eats · 180 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Trim and discard the stems of the dried chillies, cut each lengthwise and remove the seeds, then roughly chop into 1 to 1.5 cm (1/4 inch) pieces.
2. Simmer the chopped chillies in a large saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes, until the flesh is mushy and the skins have softened but stayed intact.
3. Reserve 1/2 cup of the simmering water, then drain the chillies in a sieve and lightly press out the liquid.
4. Blend the cooked chillies, the reserved 1/2 cup chilli water and the remaining adobo ingredients in a tall jug for 20 seconds, until as smooth as possible.
5. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pot over high heat. Sear half the beef on each side for about 1 to 1.5 minutes until dark golden brown. Set aside and repeat with the remaining beef.
6. Add the adobo paste to the same pan and stir for 2 minutes, lowering the heat if it spits aggressively.
7. Add the braising ingredients and stir, then return the beef to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so it simmers very gently. Cover and cook for 2 1/2 hours, or until the beef shreds easily (short ribs take 3 to 3.5 hours).
8. Move the beef to a clean pan and shred it well. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss to distribute.
9. Skim as much red oil as possible from the braising liquid surface (ideally 6 tablespoons or more) and keep it in a separate bowl as birria oil.
10. Pour 1 cup of braising liquid into a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat and simmer for 15 seconds. Add all the beef and toss until the liquid is absorbed and almost none pools in the pan. Return the beef to the shredding pan and scrape the non-stick pan clean.
11. Taste the consommé and add salt if needed; it should be slightly salty but not too salty to drink. Keep warm for dipping.
12. Heat 1 teaspoon birria oil in the same non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Wipe a tortilla around the pan so the underside turns red, then, once soft (about 10 seconds, no need to flip), remove it red side down. Repeat twice more, using 1/2 teaspoon birria oil each time.
13. Spread cheese on half of each tortilla, top with beef, then onion and coriander.
14. Fold each tortilla over and pan-fry three tacos at a time over medium-high heat for 2 minutes per side, until golden red and crispy.
15. Serve hot with the warm consommé for dipping.

Summarized from RecipeTin Eats's video. Watch it for the details.

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