Beef stew takes on a whole new dimension with dried chiles and the other wonderful, savory flavors in Birria, a traditional Mexican stew served with tortillas, onion, cilantro, and lime. Some of the ingredients will require a trip to a Latino market, or some online sleuthing, both of which are why cooking is so much fun.
Birria
serves 8
serves 8
See ingredients for “The meat”, “The chile sauce”, “The spices” and “serve with” when shopping.
Timing: Start this project a day or two in advance. You’re going to marinate the raw meat with the chile sauce, spices and beer overnight, then you’re going to cook the meat in the sauce for several hours so it is very tender and easily shredded with two forks.
The meat:
3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into approximate 3-inch chunks. For the complete Birria experience, head to a Latino market if you’re lucky enough to have any near you—this post, “Choice Cut or Mystery Meat? A guide to Mexican butcher shops” is quite informative and will help you navigate the meat department.
Bones are good to have too, but optional.
1. Put the meat in a large cast iron or enamel cooking pot with lid.
2. Make the chile sauce, as described below, and pour over the meat.
3. Make the spice mixture and pour it over the meat as well. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Cook for 6-8 hours on “high” setting of a slow cooker, or 4 hours in oven at 350 degrees. Shred meat and return to pot.
5. Serve with refried beans, Viya’s rice, tortillas, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, sour cream, and salsas of your choice (recipes for mild and spicy in notes below).
The chile sauce:
These quantities make enough for 6-8 pounds of meat, if you’re doing 3 pounds, as in this recipe, put half in a freezer bag for another use.
20 dried California chiles
4 dried Pasilla chiles
4 dried Guajillo chiles
2 cups chicken stock (I like the mild, mostly undetectable flavor of Imagine)
1. Bring a pot of water to boil then remove from heat. Add the chiles and let soften about 30 minutes. Remove each chile from the water, pull off the stem, and remove and discard most of the seeds. Put the chiles in a blender with the chicken stock. Purée the chiles and strain through a fine wire mesh strainer into the cooking pot with the meat.
The spices:
1 Corona beer (7oz. or 12 oz., it doesn’t really matter)
¼ circle of Abuelita chocolate
8 cloves
8 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, browned in a small frying pan on the stovetop
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon cumin seed
5 bay leaves (do not blend these, just add them to the meat cooking pot)
1. Rinse out the blender from the chile sauce, no need to wash it thoroughly. Blend the beer with the spices (chocolate, cloves, black peppercorn, sesame seed, apple cider vinegar, and cumin seed) then pour over the meat. Add the bay leaves.
Amy’s Cooking Tips:
- All stews get better with a little time on them. So, if you’re having a party, take the pressure off yourself and make this dish a day or two in advance, store in the refrigerator, and heat gently on the stovetop when you are ready to serve.
- Instead of beef, you can make birria with pork, lamb or goat (or iguana…)
- Mild salsa: 3 tomatoes, ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, pinch salt. Cook 5–10 minutes then purée all in blender.
- Spicy salsa: 2 tomatoes, 1 jalapeño (use the seeds too), 1 garlic clove, ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, pinch salt. Cook 5–10 minutes then purée all in blender.
