Beef birria quesatacos with consommé is truly the best of the best of the best, sir! Yo when we say these tacos are the best tacos we have to offer, that is not an under statement.
Yes, birria is a longer process than most taco recipes, but the history and rich flavors would not make you doubt the process. These tacos are featured all around social media thanks to the incredibly tendered beef and out of this world consommé.
The Beef Birria Flavor Layering
There are several ways to get this flavor profile started. Rather you choose to use a home-made beef stock, store-brought beef stock, or just old fashion water. This is only the first step! Braise all sides of the beef used. Once completed, remove majority of the fat and start that flavor layering. We highly suggest starting this flavor layering with the necessary aroma of onions, garlic, and other herbs. As that mixture does it thing, bring to a boil a pot of water. Take the chilies and submerge them into the water, this step rehydrates the chilies. Next remove half of the water and puree the chilies.
Add the beef stock, seasonings, and meat to the pot. Cook for a few and then bless the mixture with the chilies. Reduce the heat and enjoy the smell of goodness for a few hours. BOOM! You’ve hit the jackpot and went straight into flavor town. How does it feel?
MUST-HAVE Ingredients
We went back and forth on what is considered a MUST for the recipe and finally agreed on the following….
- Beef
- We used three different cuts of beef: ox tails, short ribs and chuck roast. Highly suggest the use of all 3 meats with different fat ratios.
- Be sure to remove the meat and chop it up before creating the tacos!
- Chilies
- Adds the necessary heat.
- Keeps up with the traditions.
- Creates the red hue to the stew.
- Herbs
- Produce the needed aroma and spice to the stew.
- Citrus
- Gives the necessary wake me up the beef birria stew needs.
- Homemade Corn Tortillas
- Carries on the incredible flavor with a soft and crisp finish. Click HERE for the recipe.
Looking for more recipes? Check out the links below:
Beef Birria Taco
Ingredients
- 4 Ancho chilies
- 4 Guajiilo chilies
- 2 Chilies de arbol
- 1 cup Hot water
- 10 cups Beef stock
- 3⅓ lbs. Beef short ribs
- 1.1 lbs. Beef chuck
- 1.17 lbs. Beef oxtail
- 1½ White onion roughly chopped
- 6 sprigs Thyme
- 1 tbsp. Mexican Oregano
- 1 tbsp. Coriander seeds
- 2 Bay leaves
- 7 Garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp. Tomato paste
- 2 tbsp. Oregano
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- Kosher salt
- 1 tbsp Peppercorns
- 1 tbsp. Ground cumin
- 2 Fresh limes
Queso Tacos
- 2 cups Oaxaca cheese pulled a part
- 12 Fresh corn tortillas
- ¼ cup Unsalted butter for frying
- ¼ cup White onions finely chopped
- ¼ cup Radishes sliced thinly
- ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Toast the ancho, guajiilo, and arbol chilies. Transfer to a pot of hot water. Cover and allow to steep for 20 minutes.
- Remove the chilies from the water and discard the stems and seeds. Puree the chilies in the blender with one cup of warm water. Set aside.
- Season all the meat generously with black pepper and kosher salt. Add oil to a large dutch oven over medium heat. Sear all sides of the meat in batches, 2 minutes per a side. Take the meat out and set aside.
- Add more oil to the pot and sauté the onions briefly. Once softened, add the tomato paste and cook for approximately 3 minutes or until the paste darkens.
- Add the garlic, beef, beef stock, and lime juice to the pot. Season the pot with the ground cumin and Mexican oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and allow to cook for 1 hour.
- Using a cheesecloth add in the coriander seeds, fresh black peppercorn, cinnamon stick, thyme, bay leaves. Tie the cheesecloth tightly.
- Place the cheesecloth and pureed chilies into the pot. Cover the pot and simmer the mixture for 2-3 hours with occasional stirring.
- Remove the meat and any bones from the stew. Chop up the meat.
- Season the stew with salt and black pepper.
Queso Beef Birria
- Dunk a fresh corn tortilla into the stew.
- In a cast iron skillet add a teaspoon of unsalted butter and add the coated corn tortilla.
- Top the tortilla with shredded Oaxaca cheese and cook until it melts.
- On one side of the tortilla add the chopped meat and drizzle some of the consommé. Fold the taco over and cook for 1-2 minutes per a side.
- Serve the queso birria tacos with an optional ramekin filled with consommé, cilantro, diced white onions, and sliced radishes.