Description
Spicy Mexican birria delights taste buds with its rich, slow-cooked beef steeped in complex chili-based marinade. Tender meat melts in your mouth, inviting you to savor each bite of this authentic culinary treasure from Jalisco’s traditional kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 3.5 pounds lamb shoulder (or substitute beef shank or chuck roast)
Dried Chilies:
- 5 ancho peppers (stems and seeds removed)
- 5 guajillo peppers (stems and seeds removed)
- 2–3 chiles de árbol (optional, for spicier flavor)
Other Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large white onion (chopped)
- 3 large tomatoes (chopped)
- 2 large roasted tomatoes (chopped)
- 5 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon sea salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.5 cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups beef stock (divided)
Instructions
- Toast ancho, guajillo, and optional chiles de árbol in a dry pan at medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side until skins darken slightly. Transfer chilies to a bowl and cover with hot water, allowing them to steep for 20 minutes until fully softened.
- In the same pan, sauté chopped onion and tomatoes in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring consistently.
- Combine cooked vegetables, softened chilies, seasonings (oregano, salt, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, black pepper), apple cider vinegar, and beef stock in a food processor. Blend until completely smooth, then strain through a fine sieve for an extra refined sauce.
- Cut lamb or beef into large chunks and thoroughly coat with prepared birria sauce. Massage marinade into meat, ensuring complete coverage. Refrigerate for minimum 2 hours, ideally overnight to enhance flavor penetration.
- Transfer marinated meat with entire sauce to a large pot. Add roasted tomatoes and remaining beef stock. Simmer covered at medium heat for 3 hours, until meat becomes incredibly tender and easily shredded. Adjust liquid consistency by adding reserved chili soaking liquid if needed.
- For traditional presentation, serve braised birria as a rich soup with consomé. Alternatively, shred meat and fill warm tortillas, serving consomé separately for dipping.
Notes
- Select tender cuts like lamb shoulder or beef chuck for maximum flavor and soft texture.
- Toast chiles carefully to enhance their smoky essence without burning, which can create bitter notes.
- Marinate meat overnight to allow deep penetration of complex spice blend and tenderize protein fibers.
- Strain sauce through fine-mesh sieve for silky, restaurant-quality consistency that coats meat beautifully.
- Use reserved chile soaking liquid as secret weapon to add depth and authentic Mexican chile flavor profile.
- Consider low-and-slow cooking method to guarantee incredibly tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat results.
- Adapt recipe for dietary needs by substituting beef/lamb with jackfruit or plant-based alternatives for vegetarian version.
- Keep extra consomé for dipping or transforming leftover meat into quick enchiladas or additional taco batches.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg