Beef Birria

Ingredients

Meat & Spices

  • 3 (8 oz) beef short ribs
  • 21⁄2 lbs beef chuck
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1⁄4 tsp ground cloves
  • 4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
  • 1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon

Adobo Sauce

  • 7 peppers dried guajillo chilies
  • olive oil to coat pan
  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 (1″) piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
  • 3 large tomatoes, cored and chopped
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1⁄4 cup white vinegar
  • 1 quart chicken broth

Garnish

  • finely diced onion
  • optional: chopped fresh cilantro
  • slice of lime

Method

Day Before

  • Cut the short ribs in the middle down to the bone
  • Cut beef chuck into ~3″ pieces
  • Transfer into a large pot
  • if using whole cumin and clove
    • Grind with a mortar & pestle
  • otherwise
    • Add ground cumin and clove to a bowl
  • Add in the salt, pepper, oregano, cinnamon
  • Mix together
  • Pour the spice mix over the meat and mix thoroughly
  • Cover and refrigerate overnight

Prep – Day of

  • Remove the stem and seeds of the chiles
    • scissors make this easier
  • Roughly dice the onion
  • Peel the garlic
  • Peel and thinly slice the ginger
  • Core and quarter the tomatoes

Make Adobo Sauce

  • Coat bottom of a large pan with olive oil on medium heat
  • Add chiles and toast for 30 seconds
  • Add in onions, garlic, ginger, tomato, water
  • Raise heat to high and bring to a boil
  • Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes
  • Use a stick blender to blend sauce very smooth

Braise Beef

  • Use a coarse mesh strainer and spatula to strain over the meat
  • Add honey, vinegar, and broth
  • Simmer for 3 to 4 hours, until the meat is very tender
  • If you skim fat, save it for birria tacos

Finish

  • Serve with a few ladles of sauce, some onion, and a slice of lime

References