2 Dried Ancho Chillies,
5 Guajillo Chillies,
0-15 Arbol Chillies (depending on your preferred spice level. I used 8 or so for a mild to medium level of heat).
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes, 2 White Onions, 1 Pint Beef Stock, Garlic (or Garlic Puree)
Fresh Coriander,
Fresh Limes,
Street Tacos (Mini White Corn Tortillas),
Oaxaca Cheese (ideally but hard to get in the UK so a blend of Mozzarella and spicy Mexicana cheddar works for a decent flavour and texture in a pinch)
**Recipe**
1. Cut the tops off the dried Ancho/Guajillo chillies and remove the loose seeds. No need for anything surgical, just see what falls out. Leave the Arbol Chillies whole. You can source the chillies easily via Amazon if local stores don’t have them.
2. Add the chillies to a pot with half a pint of boiling water, a cinammon stick and black peppercorns. You can use a half teaspoon of ground cinammon and pepper if that’s all you have. Leave the chillies to steam for an hour (or at least 30 minutes).
3. Cube your meat into medium sized chunks, coat in salt and pepper then fry in batches in a neutral oil such as sunflower or vegetable oil. Use a high-walled casserole dish or pan. You want a nice brown sear, not grey but also not burnt so make sure to let it gain colour and not crowd the pan. Once browned on most of the surface, set the meat to one side. You can use a blend of the meats listed above depending on what you have available to you, just need roughly 2-3 pounds of a variety of decent cuts of beef.
4. Add 1 and a half diced white onions to the same pot you seared the beef in. It should immediately clear up all the flavour the beef left behind on the bottom of the pan. Let the onions cook for five minutes then add the grated cloves of half a head of garlic. Alternatively, 3 tablespoons of garlic puree. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Add a tablespoon of mexican oregano plus a teaspoon each of smoked paprika, mild chilli powder and cayenne pepper.
5. Fish your rehydrated chillies out of the liquid and add them to a blender. Filter the remaining liquid through a seive and then add it into the blender as well. Finally add your onion/tomato mixture and blend until smooth.
6. Return the blended mixture to the pan.
7. Add your pint of beef stock into the blender. If it’s store bought then throw in an extra beef stock pot or stock cube then blend (just to capture the leftovers from your chilli mixture) and add this into the pan as well.
8. Return your meat to the pan and submerge it in the liquid. Cook on medium to low heat for approximately 3 to 3.5 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so.
9. You will know the cooking process is done when you see lots of red oil (from the spices and melted fat/collagen from the meat) and your beef tears very easily under the lightest pressure from a fork.
10. Allow to cool for ten minutes and skim as much oil as you can, saving this to one side for later. Use a slotted spoon to remove your beef, add it to a mixing bowl and use two forks to shred it thoroughly. Add a few teaspoons of your birria broth to the meat and mix it through.
11. Let the broth settle for a few minutes and skim off any remaining oil. Again, save it for later.
12. Take a tortilla and brush some oil on one side, coating it entirely but lightly. Add the taco to a hot frying pan on medium to high heat, oil side down. Swirl in the pan for a few seconds then flip the dry side of the tortilla into any excess oil. Cook for 60 seconds then flip over so the side you oiled is face down. Using the oil instead of the broth to coat the tortilla will make your taco much crisper.
13. Add a strip of your chosen cheese blend along the centre third of your tortilla from edge to edge. A blowtorch for a few seconds is a bonus. Top the cheese with a couple of table spoons of the shredded beef. Sprinkle some chopped fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime juice then fold the tortilla in half, squeezing the contents to spread evenly. Cook for another 30 to 60 seconds each side then set the finished taco aside.
14. Repeat 12 and 13 until you have enough tacos. 2-3 per person is plenty. Add a portion of the broth to a small ramekin for use as a dipping consomme and top with a few diced onions and some chopped coriander. Serve with a lime wedge or two and dip your tacos in the broth.
15. This recipe makes 25-30 tacos. I freeze it into three or four batches with a portion of beef, portion of broth and small pot of oil for each one.
misstexass1 on
Coming over!
Zestyclose-Camp3553 on
DueConversation5269 on
these are my favorite. I’ve had them many places, some make better than others. the winner is making them at home!
smotrs on
I’m actually doing this right now for Taco Tuesday. Not adding any Arbol to the main batch as the kids aren’t big on heat, but gonna prepare separately for wife and I.
Need to run to the store though for cilantro to make a onion/cilantro mix for the finish product.
5 Comments
**Ingredients**
2 Dried Ancho Chillies,
5 Guajillo Chillies,
0-15 Arbol Chillies (depending on your preferred spice level. I used 8 or so for a mild to medium level of heat).
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes, 2 White Onions, 1 Pint Beef Stock, Garlic (or Garlic Puree)
1lb Beef Chuck/Braising Steak,
1lb Short Rib/Beef Shin,
1lb Oxtail/Beef Cheek,
Fresh Coriander,
Fresh Limes,
Street Tacos (Mini White Corn Tortillas),
Oaxaca Cheese (ideally but hard to get in the UK so a blend of Mozzarella and spicy Mexicana cheddar works for a decent flavour and texture in a pinch)
**Recipe**
1. Cut the tops off the dried Ancho/Guajillo chillies and remove the loose seeds. No need for anything surgical, just see what falls out. Leave the Arbol Chillies whole. You can source the chillies easily via Amazon if local stores don’t have them.
2. Add the chillies to a pot with half a pint of boiling water, a cinammon stick and black peppercorns. You can use a half teaspoon of ground cinammon and pepper if that’s all you have. Leave the chillies to steam for an hour (or at least 30 minutes).
3. Cube your meat into medium sized chunks, coat in salt and pepper then fry in batches in a neutral oil such as sunflower or vegetable oil. Use a high-walled casserole dish or pan. You want a nice brown sear, not grey but also not burnt so make sure to let it gain colour and not crowd the pan. Once browned on most of the surface, set the meat to one side. You can use a blend of the meats listed above depending on what you have available to you, just need roughly 2-3 pounds of a variety of decent cuts of beef.
4. Add 1 and a half diced white onions to the same pot you seared the beef in. It should immediately clear up all the flavour the beef left behind on the bottom of the pan. Let the onions cook for five minutes then add the grated cloves of half a head of garlic. Alternatively, 3 tablespoons of garlic puree. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Add a tablespoon of mexican oregano plus a teaspoon each of smoked paprika, mild chilli powder and cayenne pepper.
5. Fish your rehydrated chillies out of the liquid and add them to a blender. Filter the remaining liquid through a seive and then add it into the blender as well. Finally add your onion/tomato mixture and blend until smooth.
6. Return the blended mixture to the pan.
7. Add your pint of beef stock into the blender. If it’s store bought then throw in an extra beef stock pot or stock cube then blend (just to capture the leftovers from your chilli mixture) and add this into the pan as well.
8. Return your meat to the pan and submerge it in the liquid. Cook on medium to low heat for approximately 3 to 3.5 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so.
9. You will know the cooking process is done when you see lots of red oil (from the spices and melted fat/collagen from the meat) and your beef tears very easily under the lightest pressure from a fork.
10. Allow to cool for ten minutes and skim as much oil as you can, saving this to one side for later. Use a slotted spoon to remove your beef, add it to a mixing bowl and use two forks to shred it thoroughly. Add a few teaspoons of your birria broth to the meat and mix it through.
11. Let the broth settle for a few minutes and skim off any remaining oil. Again, save it for later.
12. Take a tortilla and brush some oil on one side, coating it entirely but lightly. Add the taco to a hot frying pan on medium to high heat, oil side down. Swirl in the pan for a few seconds then flip the dry side of the tortilla into any excess oil. Cook for 60 seconds then flip over so the side you oiled is face down. Using the oil instead of the broth to coat the tortilla will make your taco much crisper.
13. Add a strip of your chosen cheese blend along the centre third of your tortilla from edge to edge. A blowtorch for a few seconds is a bonus. Top the cheese with a couple of table spoons of the shredded beef. Sprinkle some chopped fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime juice then fold the tortilla in half, squeezing the contents to spread evenly. Cook for another 30 to 60 seconds each side then set the finished taco aside.
14. Repeat 12 and 13 until you have enough tacos. 2-3 per person is plenty. Add a portion of the broth to a small ramekin for use as a dipping consomme and top with a few diced onions and some chopped coriander. Serve with a lime wedge or two and dip your tacos in the broth.
15. This recipe makes 25-30 tacos. I freeze it into three or four batches with a portion of beef, portion of broth and small pot of oil for each one.
Coming over!
these are my favorite. I’ve had them many places, some make better than others. the winner is making them at home!
I’m actually doing this right now for Taco Tuesday. Not adding any Arbol to the main batch as the kids aren’t big on heat, but gonna prepare separately for wife and I.
Need to run to the store though for cilantro to make a onion/cilantro mix for the finish product.