Homemade Beef Birria & Tacos

This homemade beef birria recipe is a traditional Mexican dish that is slow-cooked to perfection. The recipe includes making Quesabirrias and consome, creating a full meal experience packed with authentic Mexican flavors.

The beef is cooked until it’s falling off the bone, and the broth is rich and hearty. The quesadacos are crispy and cheesy, and the salsa adds a spicy kick. It’s a comforting and satisfying meal that’s perfect for any occasion.

Ingredients:

For the Birria:

Beef Shank: A little over three pounds of beef shank is used. This is browned in a pan with some oil before being added to the crockpot. You can also use chuck roast.

Onion: One small onion is diced or sliced and added to the crockpot. Some minced onion can also be used.

Garlic: Five cloves of garlic are used.

Chili Puree: This is made using three guajillo chilies, one pasilla chili, and one ancho chili. The chilies are de-seeded, rinsed, and boiled until softened. They are then blended with a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and one cup of water.

Beef Bouillon Powder: A tablespoon and a half of this is added to the crockpot. You can also use your own beef broth.

Bay Leaves: Two bay leaves are added.

Mexican Oregano: A teaspoon of this is added.

Dried Thyme: A half teaspoon of this is added. You can also use a sprig of fresh thyme.

Ground Cinnamon Powder: Just a pinch of this is added.

Ground Clove: Just a pinch of this is added.

Salt: A teaspoon and a half of salt is added.

Water: One quart (four cups) of water is added.

For the Salsa:

Chile Arbol: Eight of these are de-stemmed, de-seeded, and boiled until softened.

Roma Tomatoes: Two of these are chopped and added to the salsa.

Garlic: One clove is added to the salsa.

Onion: A small piece of onion is chopped and added to the salsa.

Chicken Tomato Bouillon Powder: A half teaspoon of this is added to the salsa.

For the Quesadacos:

Corn Tortillas: These are used as the base for the quesadacos.

Shredded Cheese: This is added to the quesadacos along with the chopped up meat.

Rendered Fat: This is skimmed off the top of the broth and used to fry the quesadacos.

For Garnish:

Cilantro, Onion, and Scallion: These are chopped and added to the broth.

Lime Juice: This is squeezed into the broth.

Salsa: The salsa made earlier is added to the broth. It is spicy, so use it according to your preference.

Making The Delicious Homemade Birria

Brown the Beef Shank:
Start by browning a little over three pounds of beef shank on the stovetop. Add oil to a well preheated pan on high and brown these on each side for about a minute or until you get some browning color on them. Add the browned beef shank to your 4.5 quart crock pot.

Prepare the Chili Puree:
Make a chili puree using three guajillo chilies, one pasilla chili, and one ancho chili. Remove the seeds and the stems, rinse, and put them in a pot of water. Bring it to a boil, turn off the heat and cover it with a lid. Let it steep for about 20 minutes until softened. Blend the softened chilies with one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and one cup of water.

Add Ingredients to the Crock Pot:
Add the chili puree, diced onion, garlic, beef bouillon powder, bay leaves, Mexican Oregano, dried thyme, ground cinnamon powder, ground clove, salt, and water to the crock pot with the browned beef shank. Stir to combine.

Slow Cook the Birria:
Cover the crock pot with a lid and set it to high. Let it cook on high for four to six hours. Stir once or twice during the cooking process.

Prepare the Salsa:
While the birria is cooking, prepare a salsa using eight chile arbol, two Roma tomatoes, one clove of garlic, and a small piece of onion. Boil the chiles until softened, then blend with the chopped tomato, garlic, and onion. Add some chicken tomato bouillon powder for extra flavor.

Skim Off the Fat:
Once the birria is cooked, skim off the fat from the top of the broth. This will be used later to fry the quesadacos.

Remove and Chop the Meat:
Remove the meat from the crock pot and separate it from the bones. Chop the meat into small pieces.

Prepare the Quesadacos:
Heat a griddle and add some of the rendered fat. Place a corn tortilla on the griddle and flip it to coat both sides with the fat. Add the chopped meat and some shredded cheese on top of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half and let it cook until crispy on the outside and melty on the inside.

Serve:
Serve the quesadacos with a bowl of the broth. Garnish the broth with chopped cilantro, onion, scallion, lime juice, and the prepared salsa. Enjoy your homemade birria and quesadacos!

Tips and Variations:

1. Choosing the Meat: While this recipe uses beef shank, you can also use chuck roast or even goat meat, which is traditional in many regions of Mexico.
2. Adjust the Spices: Feel free to adjust the spices according to your preference. If you like it spicier, add more chilies or some hot sauce.
3. Vary the Cheese: For the quesadacos, you can use different types of cheese like Monterey Jack or mozzarella, depending on what you have on hand.
4. Add Vegetables: Feel free to add some vegetables like carrots or potatoes to the birria for added nutrition.

FAQs:

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Homemade Beef Birria
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