Birria Tacos

Gabriela Camara wrote that anything can be a taco. It is as ubiquitous and versatile as the American sandwich, it can be used for any meal of the day and as the vessel for all of your leftovers. Tacos of some kind are in my regular weekly repertoire and are the perfect weeknight meal, ready in a flash, and adaptable to a ‘kitchen sink’ format.

These are not those tacos.

These are a plan ahead, make sure you have the right chilis and meat, and then cook long and slow in a Sunday, weekend project way. But damn they are delicious.

I was recently introduced to Joshua Weissman, the Youtube sensation who popularizes making things from scratch and replicating and improving upon take-out and restaurant classics. His recipes are in-depth love letters to flavour. They are not quick or easy, but they motivate me to rise to new culinary challenges as I find myself endlessly watching his videos late into the evening, becoming hungrier all the time.

These tacos will satisfy all of your shredded beef taco cravings. They take a while to make, but trust me the results are worth it! The good news is you can completely prepare them in advance. If you want to serve these to a crowd, skip the quesa version, heat up tortillas and just lay out the beef, shredded cheese, and toppings and let people make their own.

Of note, the dried chilies are difficult to find in the grocery store. They are best ordered online or from a specialty Mexican market. Similarly, Oaxaca cheese is also difficult to find in a Canadian grocery store, but can easily be replaced with Mozzarella or Monterey Jack.

Birria Tacos

Adapted slightly, Joshua Weissman

For the Birria:
3 lbs beef short ribs
5 ancho chilies
5 guajillo chilies
2 chilies de arbol
2.5 quarts rich beef stock
1 cinnamon stick
6 bay leaves
1 Tbsp toasted coriander
1 Tbsp toasted black peppercorns
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 yellow onion
8 cloves garlic
salt to taste

For the Tacos:
6 inch corn tortillas
1 lbs Oaxaca cheese, shredded (or Mozzarella)
sweet onion, finely diced
fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Using gloves, remove the stems and seeds of the ancho, guajillo and chilies de arbol.

Season the meat generously with salt. In a large oiled pot (a Dutch oven is preferable here) heated over medium heat, add the meat in batches and sear 2-3 minutes on all sides, ensuring that all sides are browned. Once seared, take the meat out and set aside. Add a bit more oil to the pot and add the chopped onions. Sauté just until softened. Add the tomato paste and cook down until the paste begins to darken. Add the sliced garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the beef stock, chilis, and the seared meat.

In a piece of cheesecloth, add the peppercorns, toasted coriander, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Fold together and tie tightly. Add the spice bag mixture into the stock and bring it to a light simmer and cover. Braise for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

After 1 hour, remove the chilies and place into a blender with a little of the stock liquid and blend until smooth. Pour back into the stew and bring it back to a simmer. Cover and braise for 90 minutes. Remove the meat and shred using a fork. Season the rest of the broth with salt and set aside. At this point, the meat and broth can be set aside for up to 3 days.

When you are ready to serve, bring the broth back to a simmer. Take a fresh tortilla and dunk it in the broth completely. Place the tortilla in a cast iron skillet set over medium heat. Top with the shredded cheese and cook until just melted. On one side add the braised shredded meat with a drizzle of the broth. Fold the taco over, cooking for 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Serve with a ramekin filled with broth, topped with diced onions and chopped cilantro.