Authentic Mexican Birria Tacos

Step 1

Salt the meat and sear on all sides in a cast iron pan or dutch oven until all edges are browned. Set aside while you make the chile sauce.

Step 2

Remove seeds and stems from the dried guajillo and California Chile peppers. This is best done with a scissor, by cutting the Chile oven and discarding the seeds. Discard all seeds and stems. Place all dried chiles in a small pot along with garlic cloves and onion. Cover with water and bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 10 minutes until peppers are soft.

Step 3

Remove the cooked Chile sauce ingredients from the water and place into a blender along with dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Reserve the Chile water from the pot and add to the blender as you blend ingredients together until it blends well into a thin liquid consistency.

Step 4

Pour blended chile sauce into the pot and cover the meat. Add more water so that the meat is almost entirely covered. Bring to a boil on the stovetop and then allow to simmer with lid on for 4-6 hours, until the meat is soft and easily shreddable. You can also make the birria by slow cooking in the oven. After bringing to a boil, transfer dutch oven with lid on to a preheated 350℉ oven. Bake for 2 hours, then reduce the temperature to 300℉ and cook anther 2-3 hours until meat is tender and flakes apart very easily with a fork.

Step 5

When the meat is tender, remove from the oven. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Transfer the shredded meat back into the Chile broth. Meat is ready to enjoy!

Step 6

Serving Suggestion: Dip hot corn tortillas in the sauce first, sauté both sides a a hot griddle, then transfer the tortilla to a plate and compile tacos with birria and desired toppings. You can also add the shredded meat to a hot tortilla, compile with toppings, then offer a bowl of the birria broth for dunking.