Beef Birria
Dive into the delicious world of homemade Beef Birria, where tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat meets a symphony of spices! Slow-cooked to perfection and infused with the rich flavors of guajillo chiles and aromatic herbs, this dish is a fiesta for your taste buds. Get ready to savor every bite and impress your friends and family with this mouthwatering classic!
Prep
15
min
Cook
180
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 5 dientes de ajo
- Cebolla blanca y cilantro para serviroptional
- Agua, la necesaria
- ½ cebolla blanca
- 1 cdta. de pimienta negra entera (5 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 3.2 kg (7 lb) de carne de res (3.18 kg)
- 1 cda. de consomé de res (15 ml)
- 480 ml (2 tazas) de caldo de res (480 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- 1 raja de canela
- ½ cdta. de comino molido (2.5 ml)
- 1 cdta. de orégano (5 ml)
- Sal y pimienta al gusto
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 60 ml (¼ de taza) de vinagre blanco (60 ml)
📦Other(6)
- 4 chiles anchos
- 3 hojas de laurel
- 5 clavos de olor
- 12 chiles guajillos
- 3 jitomates Roma
- 4 chiles de árbol
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
888
Protein
86g
Carbs
10g
Fat
57g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Put a pot on high heat with a little oil and start sealing the meat. Season with salt and pepper.
- 2
After 10 minutes, reserve the meat while preparing the sauce.
- 3
Boil ancho chiles, guajillo chiles, Roma tomatoes, árbol chiles, half a white onion, a cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and whole black pepper in a pot with enough water to cover everything for about 10 minutes.
- 4
Blend everything in a blender including the water.
- 5
Add garlic, beef broth, and white vinegar to the blender and blend until smooth.
- 6
Return the meat to medium heat and add the sauce. Adjust salt to taste.
- 7
Cover and cook for three hours or until the meat is very tender.
- 8
Serve with white onion and cilantro.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the beef at high heat (450°F+) for exactly 10 minutes to develop a Maillard crust that locks in juices, but don't exceed 12 minutes or the exterior will toughen before the meat releases naturally from the pan.timing10-12 minutes at 450°F+
- ✓Toast the dried chiles (anchos, guajillos, and árbol) dry in a 350°F skillet for 45-60 seconds before boiling to activate volatile aromatic oils and deepen chile flavor by 30-40%, but stop before they scorch or bitterness develops.technique45-60 seconds at 350°F
- ✓Boil the chile mixture for exactly 10 minutes to soften the chiles and allow pectin breakdown for smooth blending, but avoid prolonged boiling (15+ minutes) which causes chlorophyll degradation and muddy color in the final sauce.timing10 minutes boiling time
- ✓Add white vinegar (2-3 tablespoons per 2 cups sauce) to the blended sauce to cut through the 45-50% fat content from the beef and brighten chile flavor by lowering pH to 3.5-4.0, making the sauce taste sharper and more complex.ingredient2-3 tbsp vinegar per 2 cups sauce (pH 3.5-4.0)
- ✓Braise at a gentle simmer (190-210°F, not rolling boil) for 3 hours with the lid on to convert collagen to gelatin slowly and keep meat moist; a rolling boil causes rapid moisture evaporation and toughens the exterior while the interior remains undercooked.technique190-210°F gentle simmer, lid on
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
180
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Beef Birria
Dive into the delicious world of homemade Beef Birria, where tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat meets a symphony of spices! Slow-cooked to perfection and infused with the rich flavors of guajillo chiles and aromatic herbs, this dish is a fiesta for your taste buds. Get ready to savor every bite and impress your friends and family with this mouthwatering classic!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 5 dientes de ajo
- Cebolla blanca y cilantro para serviroptional
- Agua, la necesaria
- ½ cebolla blanca
- 1 cdta. de pimienta negra entera (5 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 3.2 kg (7 lb) de carne de res (3.18 kg)
- 1 cda. de consomé de res (15 ml)
- 480 ml (2 tazas) de caldo de res (480 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- 1 raja de canela
- ½ cdta. de comino molido (2.5 ml)
- 1 cdta. de orégano (5 ml)
- Sal y pimienta al gusto
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 60 ml (¼ de taza) de vinagre blanco (60 ml)
📦Other(6)
- 4 chiles anchos
- 3 hojas de laurel
- 5 clavos de olor
- 12 chiles guajillos
- 3 jitomates Roma
- 4 chiles de árbol
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
888
Protein
86g
Carbs
10g
Fat
57g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Put a pot on high heat with a little oil and start sealing the meat. Season with salt and pepper.
- 2
After 10 minutes, reserve the meat while preparing the sauce.
- 3
Boil ancho chiles, guajillo chiles, Roma tomatoes, árbol chiles, half a white onion, a cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and whole black pepper in a pot with enough water to cover everything for about 10 minutes.
- 4
Blend everything in a blender including the water.
- 5
Add garlic, beef broth, and white vinegar to the blender and blend until smooth.
- 6
Return the meat to medium heat and add the sauce. Adjust salt to taste.
- 7
Cover and cook for three hours or until the meat is very tender.
- 8
Serve with white onion and cilantro.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the beef at high heat (450°F+) for exactly 10 minutes to develop a Maillard crust that locks in juices, but don't exceed 12 minutes or the exterior will toughen before the meat releases naturally from the pan.timing10-12 minutes at 450°F+
- ✓Toast the dried chiles (anchos, guajillos, and árbol) dry in a 350°F skillet for 45-60 seconds before boiling to activate volatile aromatic oils and deepen chile flavor by 30-40%, but stop before they scorch or bitterness develops.technique45-60 seconds at 350°F
- ✓Boil the chile mixture for exactly 10 minutes to soften the chiles and allow pectin breakdown for smooth blending, but avoid prolonged boiling (15+ minutes) which causes chlorophyll degradation and muddy color in the final sauce.timing10 minutes boiling time
- ✓Add white vinegar (2-3 tablespoons per 2 cups sauce) to the blended sauce to cut through the 45-50% fat content from the beef and brighten chile flavor by lowering pH to 3.5-4.0, making the sauce taste sharper and more complex.ingredient2-3 tbsp vinegar per 2 cups sauce (pH 3.5-4.0)
- ✓Braise at a gentle simmer (190-210°F, not rolling boil) for 3 hours with the lid on to convert collagen to gelatin slowly and keep meat moist; a rolling boil causes rapid moisture evaporation and toughens the exterior while the interior remains undercooked.technique190-210°F gentle simmer, lid on