Birria de Res Tacos

Description

Tacos are good. They taste great. Therefore tacos are great.

Tacos

Ingredients

Sauce

• 6 dried guajillo chile peppers, seeded
• 4 dried chile de arbol peppers, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed
• 4 medium Roma tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground cumin
• 1 pinch ground thyme
• 1 pinch dried marjoram
• 1 pinch dried oregano
• 1 pinch salt

Meat

• 4 pounds beef chuck roast
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Tacos

• 18 corn tortillas
• 1 large white onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup shredded queso asadero (white Mexican cheese) (Optional)

Steps

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil.
• Start the sauce: Add guajillo, arbol, and ancho chile peppers to the boiling water; boil for 5 minutes. Remove pot from the heat and allow peppers to soak until cool. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
• Meanwhile, sear the meat: Rinse beef and pat dry with paper towels. Cut beef into chunks if desired, and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• While the beef is searing, continue the sauce: Line a heavy cast-iron grill pan or griddle with aluminum foil and place over high heat. Arrange tomatoes in a single layer on top. Grill until tomato skin is burned on all sides and begins to peel, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Place cooled chile peppers into a blender. Add vinegar, garlic, 2 teaspoons black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and salt in a blender. Pour in the reserved 1/4 cup of chile water and blend until smooth.
• Strain chile sauce through a mesh strainer and pour over browned meat in the Dutch oven, turning the roast so it is completely covered with sauce; cover with a lid.
• Bake in the preheated oven, basting meat every 45 minutes with sauce, until birria begins to fall apart, 3 to 4 hours. Remove the lid and bake, uncovered, until birria is crispy on top, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with 2 layers of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes.
• Remove meat to a cutting board and strain off any fat from the sauce. Shred meat with two forks, then return meat to the pot and stir with the sauce to combine.
• Assemble and heat tacos: Fill each tortilla with birria and top with Mexican cheese, chopped onion, and cilantro. Warm tortillas on a griddle, flipping until both sides are crispy and cheese is melted.
• Serve with extra sauce on the side for dipping.