A deeply flavorful, slow-cooked Mexican beef stew originating from Jalisco, known for its tender, fall-apart meat and rich, aromatic chile-based broth. Perfect as a standalone dish or for making Birria Tacos.
Birria de Res: Jalisco's Rich Stew
A deeply flavorful, slow-cooked Mexican beef stew originating from Jalisco, known for its tender, fall-apart meat and rich, aromatic chile-based broth. Perfect as a standalone dish or for making Birria Tacos.
Ingredients
- 3.5 lbs beef chuck roast cut into large chunks
- 6 dried guajillo chiles stemmed and seeded
- 3 dried ancho chiles stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried chiles de arbol stemmed (optional
- 1 medium white onion roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 medium Roma tomatoes quartered
- 0.25 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 0.5 tsp dried oregano
- 0.25 tsp ground cloves
- 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 0.5 tsp black pepper or to taste
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 5 cups beef broth
Instructions
- 1. Rehydrate Chiles: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the guajillo, ancho, and chiles de arbol for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak for 20-30 minutes until softened.
- 2. Prepare Sauce: Drain the rehydrated chiles, reserving about 1 cup of the soaking liquid. In a blender, combine the drained chiles, chopped onion, garlic, quartered tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of beef broth. Blend until very smooth, adding a little more chile soaking liquid or beef broth if needed to reach a pourable consistency.
- 3. Sear Beef: Pat the beef chuck roast chunks dry. Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches until browned on all sides. Remove beef from the pot and set aside.
- 4. Combine and Simmer: Pour the blended chile sauce into the Dutch oven, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes, allowing the sauce to deepen in color and flavor. Return the seared beef to the pot. Add the remaining beef broth, ensuring the beef is mostly submerged. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 3-4 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender.
- 5. Shred and Serve: Once the beef is tender, remove it from the pot and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded beef to the sauce. Skim any excess fat from the top of the consomé if desired. Serve the Birria de Res hot, garnished with fresh chopped cilantro and diced white onion. It's often accompanied by warm corn tortillas and lime wedges.
Notes
For Birria Tacos, shred the cooked beef and assemble in corn tortillas with cheese, onion, and cilantro. Dip the tacos in the strained consomé (broth) before pan-frying until crispy. Serve with lime wedges. You can also thicken the consomé slightly for a richer stew experience. If you prefer a spicier birria, add more chiles de arbol to the sauce.
