Birria Tacos with Consommé (Printable)
Slow-cooked beef in crispy tortillas with melted cheese, served with savory dipping consommé
# What You Need:
→ Meat & Marinade
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→ For Frying & Assembly
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# How-To Steps:
01 - Toast the dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Soak them in hot water for 10 minutes until soft, then drain thoroughly.
02 - Combine softened chiles, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, vinegar, oregano, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and black pepper in a blender. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
03 - Place beef chuck chunks and short ribs in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot. Pour the blended marinade over the meat, add beef broth and bay leaf. Mix thoroughly to ensure all meat pieces are evenly coated.
04 - Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Cover tightly and reduce heat to low. Cook for 3 to 3.5 hours until meat is fork-tender and easily shreds apart. Skim the fat layer from the top and reserve for frying tacos.
05 - Remove beef from the pot, discard bones and bay leaf. Shred the meat using two forks. Return shredded meat to the pot and stir well to coat in the flavorful consommé.
06 - Arrange chopped cilantro, diced white onion, and lime wedges in separate serving bowls. Keep consommé warm for dipping.
07 - Heat a skillet over medium heat with a small amount of reserved fat or oil. Dip a tortilla into the top layer of birria consommé to coat in flavored fat, then place in skillet. Sprinkle cheese over half the tortilla, add birria meat, and fold to close.
08 - Cook tacos for 2-3 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until tortilla is crispy and golden brown with melted cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, adding more fat as needed.
09 - Ladle consommé into small bowls for dipping. Serve tacos immediately, garnished with chopped onion, cilantro, and lime wedges on the side, with warm consommé for dipping.
# Expert Tips:
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- The consommé dipping sauce transforms every bite into something spectacular
- Slow cooking makes the beef impossibly tender and flavorful
- Crispy cheesy tortillas against tender meat is just perfect
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- Skim the fat from the top and save it for frying the tortillas
- Dipping each tortilla in the consommé before frying is nonnegotiable
- The meat needs to be fork tender before you shred it
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- Making birria ahead of time actually improves the flavor
- The consommé freezes beautifully for up to three months