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This real-deal Mexican beef birria brings Jalisco's bold tastes straight into your home. You'll love how the smell of juicy beef cooking with smoky peppers and warm spices fills every room. It's pure comfort food. Dish it up as a hearty stew or make those crunchy cheese-filled tacos – either way, your family will beg for seconds.
A Delightful Creation
While goat is the old-school choice, our beef version makes this classic much easier to tackle but still packs all those amazing flavors. Cooking it low and slow gives you meat that falls apart with a taste that goes deep. What I really dig is how you can switch it up between bowls of rich stew or those crispy tacos when the family wants something different.
Ingredients You'll Need
- 3-4 pounds beef chuck roast: Try to find cuts with good fat running through them, chopped into 2-inch pieces so everything cooks evenly.
- Dried chiles: 2 ancho, 3 guajillo, and 2 arbol chiles with seeds and stems taken out for the cleanest taste.
- Fresh aromatics: 1 large onion, 4 whole garlic cloves, 2 ripe tomatoes to build your sauce foundation.
- Spice blend: 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon ginger, 2 whole cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon cumin, plus salt and pepper as you like.
- Liquids: 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar to make the meat more tender, 4 cups low-sodium beef broth.
How To Make It
- Prepare Your Chiles
- Take the seeds out from the ancho, guajillo, and arbol chiles. Put them in water and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes until they get soft.
- Roast Your Veggies
- Put garlic, tomatoes and onion on a baking sheet and broil for 4-6 minutes until you see some nice black spots forming.
- Blend Your Sauce
- Throw your soft chiles with a cup of their soaking water into a blender. Add your roasted veggies, vinegar, broth and all the spices except the bay leaves. Blend until it's smooth as silk.
- Cook It Slow
- Toss your beef chunks into the slow cooker, pour your sauce all over, drop in the bay leaves and mix it around a bit. Cover and let it go on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5 hours until the meat pulls apart without a fight.
- Put It All Together
- Pull the meat out, shred it using two forks, then mix it back into the sauce. Fish out those bay leaves, give everything a good stir and let all those tastes mingle.
Making It Perfect
You can use a Dutch oven too if you want to brown the meat first for a deeper taste. Mix up the sauce the night before to save yourself some time. Want it spicier or milder? Just add or cut back on those arbol chiles. If your meat won't shred easily, don't worry – just let it cook a bit longer.
Ways To Enjoy It
Scoop up the birria as a tasty stew with fresh cilantro, chopped onions and a squeeze of lime on top. For mind-blowing quesabirria tacos, just soak corn tortillas in the sauce, stuff them with meat and cheese, then grill till they're crunchy. It's also killer over chips with gooey cheese for watching the big game.
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Common Questions
- → Why mix various chile types?
Each chile adds something unique: guajillo for mild sweetness, ancho for a smoky depth, and arbol for heat, creating an amazing flavor combo.
- → What's the point of chile soaking?
Soaking softens them for easier blending and gives the sauce a richer flavor by using the liquid left behind.
- → How can I make it less spicy?
To ease the heat, use fewer arbol chiles while keeping guajillo and ancho for flavor balance.
- → How to know if the meat's ready?
It’s done when it shreds easily with a fork. If it's still tough, let it cook longer to tenderize.
- → Why char the vegetables?
Roasting the veggies brings out their sweetness and gives the sauce a smoky, caramelized depth.
Final Thoughts
Deliciously tender beef cooked in a blend of earthy, smoky dried chiles, perfect for a hearty stew or taco filling. Let it simmer until the meat falls apart for maximum flavor.