Birria Tacos
Original recipe from Pepper Belly Pete.
Servings:
5 servings
Ingredients
3 large fresh tomatoes
3 large onions
3 serrano peppers
7 cloves of garlic
5 dried Guajillo peppers (stems removed)
3 ancho chiles (stems and seeds removed)
1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp mexican oregano
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp cumin
1 - 4 oz can of chipotle peppers
32 oz beef broth
3 lb angus chuck (or other beef)
1 lb ox tail (or other beef)
a bunch of sea salt
a bunch of freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp hog lard (or butter)
3 bay leaves
1 - 12 oz pack queso oaxaca cheese (or other cheese)
cilantro
1 lime
tortillas
Directions
Cut tomatoes and 1 onion into quarters.
To a large pot, add tomatoes, the onion you just cut, serrano peppers, garlic, Guajillo peppers, ancho chiles, paprika, salt, oregano, black pepper, cumin, can of chipotle peppers, and beef broth.
Bring to low boil, covered. Cook for 30-45 minutes until the vegetables/peppers are soft.
Let it cool.
Pour the contents of the pot into a blender and puree.
Cut angus chuck and ox tail into cubes (roughly 1.5 in cubes) and put into a large bowl for seasoning.
Cover the angus chuck and ox tail with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, and mix thoroughly so all the meat is coated and seasoned.
On a skillet, add hog lard (2 tbsp).
Place meat in skillet and sear all sides, not cooking all the way through.
Dice 1 onion.
In a slowcooker, add meat, 1 diced onion, and the puree of vegetables/peppers from the blender. Add a cup of water to blender to rinse the remaining stuff and pour it into the slowcooker.
Set the slowcooker to high and get it up to a simmer.
Add bay leaves, then let slowcooker cook for 4 hours on high.
Grate the cheese and dice the last onion in the meantime.
After the slowcooker is finished, take some of the oil off the top of the slowcooker (it is a deep maroon color) and put it in a separate dish to dip tortillas in.
Take some of the gravy from the slowcooker and put it in a separate bowl for dipping the tacos in. Add the juice of one lime to it, and add chopped cilantro and some diced onion to make a dipping sauce.
Pull the meat out of the slowcooker and shred it on a plate.
One at a time, submerge each tortilla in the oil (that you set aside earlier) and lay it on hot grittle/skillet. Add shredded beef, cheese, cilantro on top of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla over and let it start frying. Fry both sides.
Plate tacos and serve with dipping sauce, limes, and any extra cilantro and onion you have.