Beef birria with homemade tortillas 🌮

Soak the chillies

Put the dried chillies in a bowl, cover them with hot water and leave them to soak for 30 minutes, until soft.

Tip: Remove the stems before blending.

Brown the meat

Season the chuck and the steak with salt and pepper. Brown the meat in a large pot with a little of the oil, colouring it on all sides. Take it out of the pot for now.

Tip: Do not crowd the pot while browning: work in batches if needed.

Make the spice paste

Blend the soaked, drained chillies with the white onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste and apple cider vinegar until smooth.

Tip: If needed, add a tiny bit of water to help it blend.

Start cooking the meat

Put the meat back in the pot and add just enough water to cover it. Bring to the boil and skim off the foam that forms on the surface.

Slow-cook the birria

Add the blended paste, Mexican chicken seasoning, brown sugar, smoked paprika, oregano, black pepper, white pepper, cumin, thyme, cloves, cinnamon and the rest of the oil. Stir, cover and cook over low heat for about 3 hours 30 minutes.

Tip: The meat should become very tender. Check now and then that the bottom is not drying out and add a little hot water if needed.

Let the birria rest

Turn off the heat and let the birria rest for 15 minutes. Skim off the fat that rises to the surface and keep it aside to crisp the tortillas.

Tip: Do not throw away the fat you skim off: you will need it to assemble the tacos.

Shred the meat

Take out the meat and shred it with two forks. Taste the consommé left in the pot and adjust the salt.

Tip: Keep the consommé aside to serve with the tacos.

Make the tortilla dough

Mix the flour with the salt and the instant raising agent. Add the warm water and oil, then knead until smooth. Cover and let it rest for 40 minutes.

Tip: You can make the dough while the birria cooks.

Divide into 16 balls

Divide the dough into 16 portions of about 29–30 g. Shape them into balls, cover them and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Tip: Keep the balls covered so the surface does not dry out.

Roll out the tortillas

Roll out each ball with a rolling pin into a very thin tortilla.

Tip: Resting the dough makes it easier to roll and stops the tortillas from shrinking back too much.

Cook the tortillas

Heat a pan until very hot and cook the tortillas one at a time for about 35 seconds per side.

Tip: Cooking should be quick: do not leave them in the pan too long, or they will go stiff.

Keep them soft

As soon as they are cooked, stack the tortillas and wrap them straight away in a clean tea towel.

Tip: The tea towel holds in heat and moisture, keeping the tortillas soft and pliable.

Assemble the tacos

Dip the tortillas in the fat skimmed from the birria and crisp them in a pan. Fill them with the shredded meat, chopped onion and fresh coriander.

Tip: For quesabirria, add mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese and let it melt in the pan.

Serve with the consommé

Serve the tacos hot with lime wedges and a small bowl of consommé to dip them in before every bite. Guacamole too, if you like!