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Beef Birria Tacos with Consommé

Beef birria tacos with consommé feature chile-braised, fork-tender beef folded with Oaxaca cheese into crisp corn tortillas. Dip each taco in the rich broth and finish with onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Soaking time 20 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 1450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the birria
  • 4 guajillo chiles dried, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 ancho chiles dried, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 árbol chiles dried, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 cups water boiling
  • 3 pounds beef chuck roast cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 tomatoes medium, halved
  • 1 yellow onion medium, quartered
  • 5 cloves garlic peeled
  • 0.25 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano dried
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 carton (32 ounces) beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves
For the tacos
  • 12 corn tortillas 6-inch
  • 12 ounces Oaxaca cheese shredded
  • 0.5 cup white onion finely chopped
  • 0.5 cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 2 limes cut into wedges

Equipment

  • 1 6-quart Dutch oven
  • 1 immersion blender
  • 1 12-inch skillet

Method
 

Make the birria
  1. Heat a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat and toast the guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles for 20 to 30 seconds per side, until fragrant.
  2. Transfer the toasted chiles to a heatproof bowl, pour the boiling water over them, and soak for 20 minutes.
  3. Pat the beef dry and season it all over with the salt and pepper.
  4. Heat the vegetable oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
  5. Transfer the browned beef to a plate.
  6. Add the tomatoes and yellow onion to the Dutch oven and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until softened and browned in spots.
  7. Add the garlic for the last minute of cooking.
  8. Turn off the heat and add the soaked chiles with all their soaking liquid, the tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and cloves.
  9. Blend in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth.
  10. Return the beef to the pot and add the beef broth and bay leaves.
  11. Bring to a simmer, cover, and bake at 325°F for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.
  12. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and discard the bay leaves.
  13. Skim the red fat from the broth into a small bowl.
  14. Shred the beef and stir 1 cup of broth into the shredded meat.
Assemble the tacos
  1. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
  2. Dip a tortilla in the reserved fat, lay it in the skillet, and top half with about 1/4 cup shredded beef and 1 ounce cheese.
  3. Fold the tortilla over and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until crisp and the cheese is melted.
  4. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, beef, and cheese.
  5. Serve the tacos topped with the white onion and cilantro, with the remaining broth in bowls for dipping and the lime wedges alongside.

Notes

For the crispiest tacos, brown the beef in batches without crowding the Dutch oven. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days; the birria and broth freeze well for up to 3 months. For a dairy-free swap, use a dairy-free melting cheese in place of Oaxaca cheese.