Birria Taco beef
Traditionally, birria is prepared as a basic stew but finished in 3 steps, the cooking meat juices or consommé is kept clear on one side, then, the fat floating on the surface is kept on the side to be used to deep the tortilla in it to help flavour and cook the tortilla. Finally, the meat is pulled and placed in the warmed tortilla with some fresh onion, coriander and cheese and folded into a taco shape. The taco is then toasted again to create a delicious birria taco. Well worth the effort.
Ingredients
- 3 beef short rib or other with some fat attached
- 1 onion sliced
- 8 cloves garlic
- 2 carrot sliced – optional
- 4 tbsp chipotle chillies in adobo sauce
- 1 Tbsp tomato puree
- 400 ml tin chopped tomato
- 300 ml beef stock
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 1 Tsp ground coriander
- 2 Tbsp fresh oregano chopped
To serve
- 12 small tortillas
- 500 g smoked cheddar or oxacata cheese
- 2 Onions thinly sliced
- 40 g tbsp Fresh coriander
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Over high heat, warm a wide sauté pan, add the short ribs of beef and colour on all side for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the short ribs from the pan into the slow cooker bowl and add the vegetables oin the sauté pan. Sautee for a further 3-4 minutes until lightly coloured. add the chipotle, tomato puree, chopped tomato, beef stock and bring to simmer, stir for 1 minutes to combine all the flavours. Season generously. Pour the mixture over the short ribs of beef and again toss once or twice to ensure the ribs are well covered. Add the cinnamon, coriander, and oregano at this stage.
- Clove with the lid ands slow cook for 4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.
- Once cooked and soften enough to pull the bone out of the meat. Remove the meat and the bone from the slow cooker. Pull the meat and keep aside warm.
- With a spoon carefully spoon the layer of oils at he surface of the stew., if some of the consommé come in , that’s fine. ( if the short ribs are slow cooked a day ahead, let it cool and the oils will harden on the top of the mixture, then easily lifted aside . )
- Check the seasoning of the beef broth and add extra chilli if you want. Keep warm .
- Once ready to eat, deep slightly a tortilla in the fat on both sides. Place tortilla in a wide pan set over medium/ low heat. Slowly colour the tortilla for a minute ofr so until just lightly coloured. Top with the pulled meat , some fresh onion slices and cheese. Sprinkle some coriander too. Fold it into half and repeat with the next tortilla.
- Cook them a while longer if you want the cheese to be melted. Or keep them warm in a hot on a tray. Serve the taco with a bowl of the beef broth and extra sprinkle of fresh coriander and cheese!
