Birria Tacos with Consomme (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ For the beef
01 -
2-3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
02 -
2 tablespoons olive oil
03 -
2 teaspoons salt
04 -
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
→ For the consomme
05 -
2 large yellow onions, diced
06 -
4 garlic cloves, chopped
07 -
2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
08 -
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 -
1 tablespoon ground cumin
10 -
½ teaspoon ground smoked paprika
11 -
½ teaspoon dried thyme
12 -
1 tablespoon dried oregano
13 -
2 bay leaves
14 -
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
15 -
8 ounces tomato sauce
16 -
4-5 cups beef stock or broth
→ For assembly
17 -
18 corn tortillas (6-inch)
18 -
20 ounces Oaxaca cheese, shredded
19 -
Cooking spray for pan
# Instructions:
01 -
Dice the onions and roughly chop the garlic. Remove stems from dried chiles, shake out seeds, and cut into 2-3 pieces each.
02 -
Season chuck roast with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sear the beef for 2 minutes on each side until browned all over.
03 -
Pour 1 cup of beef stock into the hot pan to scrape up the browned bits. Transfer the beef and all pan juices to your slow cooker.
04 -
Add onions, garlic, cilantro, tomato sauce, chiles, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, oregano, thyme, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Pour in remaining beef stock to cover the meat.
05 -
Cook on low for 8-10 hours until the beef is fork-tender and easily shreds apart.
06 -
Remove beef from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Discard any cooking string. Set shredded beef aside in a bowl.
07 -
Remove bay leaves from cooking liquid. Using a slotted spoon, transfer all the chunky vegetables and chiles to a blender. Blend until smooth, adding cooking liquid as needed. Stir blended mixture back into the slow cooker liquid.
08 -
Pour ½ cup of the consomme over the shredded beef and gently mix. Keep remaining consomme warm for dipping.
09 -
Heat oven to 300°F. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and spray with oil. Dip each tortilla lightly in consomme, then place in hot pan. Add cheese to entire tortilla, then beef to half. Fold empty half over beef.
10 -
Transfer each finished taco to a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm. Serve hot with small bowls of the warm consomme for dipping.
# Notes:
01 -
Chuck roast works best for this recipe, but you can substitute with tri-tip, top round, or rump roast.
02 -
If you can't find ancho chiles, use dried guajillo peppers or chipotle peppers in adobo (use sparingly as they're spicy).
03 -
Oaxaca cheese gives the most authentic flavor, but mozzarella, monterey jack, or cheddar work as substitutes.
04 -
You can make this in a Dutch oven at 400°F for 3 hours instead of using a slow cooker.
05 -
Garnish with fresh cilantro, diced onions, radishes, or roasted corn for extra flavor.