Beef birria stew is an authentic classic Mexican dish. Made with beef pot roast, chili pods, onion, garlic, and a ton of spices. This is slow-cooked to perfection.
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What type of meat is used for birria?
The original way to cook this would be with goat meat. Goat meat is not so easily found at the grocery store, so a lot of recipes have started replacing it with beef. Depending on the part of Mexico you might be at, some also use lamb or a combination lamb and goat.
What cuts of beef are best for beef birria?
Best cuts for sure will be a combination of different types. You could use a combination of:
- beef shank
- pot roast
- chuck
- brisket
- bones with marrow
- beef ribs
Best combos will probably be something like pot roast/chuck and a beef shank, bone in. You could also use pot roast/chuck and just some bones with marrow. What you’re aiming for is parts with a good amount of meat with a few bones thrown in. The bones will give a creaminess to the broth/consomme.
Step by step process
Start by chopping the pot roast into smaller chunks and adding a pot.
Then, to the same pot add 1 onion cut in half, 8 garlic cloves, 4 bay leaves, and 1 tablespoon salt or to taste and boil for about 3 ½ hours.
Also, make sure to skim the impurities from the top.
While the meat cooks, let’s prepare the sauce.
Start by opening the dried chili pods and removing all of the seeds and veins and please Wear gloves when removing the seeds and veins! My eyeballs paid for not wearing them!
Also, rinse the chili pods and make sure there’s no dirt on the outside.
To a medium pot, fill with enough water to cover the chili pods.
Next, Boil the water, once it has come to a boil add the chili pods to the water 20 minutes.
Boil the tomatoes until soft and set aside.
Then, To a blender add all the spices and cooked chilies. Blend until you have a smooth puree.
Remove the meat from the beef broth and chop into smaller pieces or shred and return to the pot. If pieces are to your liking, leave as is. Also, remove any large chunks of fat and discard.
To the pot, over a strainer, pour the chili sauce and move around with a spoon because it is very thick.
You should be left with only the pulp of the chilies in the strainer. Discard the pulp and repeat until all of the sauce has been strained into the pot.
Simmer for about 20-30 minutes.
Serve in a bowl like stew, topped with onion and cilantro and some lime wedges on the side.
Optionally you can add your favorite salsa and enjoy with a warm corn tortilla.
These recipes go great with this stew
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Beef Birria with Consomme Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: Approx. 6 people
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
This stew is a very classic authentic Mexican dish. Made with beef pot roast, chile pods, onion, garlic, and a ton of spices! This is slow-cooked to perfection!
Ingredients
FOR THE BEEF:
- 8 cups of water
- 4 bay leaves
- 3 lbs pot roast beef
- Whole head of garlic
- 1 onion
- Optional – beef bones with marrow (recommended)
- 1 tablespoon of salt
FOR THE SAUCE:
- 5 chiles anchos
- 5 guajillo
- 2 pasilla
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger or 1 inches fresh ginger peeled
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 2 inches of stick
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves or 5 whole cloves
- ½ a medium onion
- 7–8 Garlic cloves
- 1 cup chile pod cooking liquid
- 3–4 Roma tomatoes
- 1 canned chipotle pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Start by chopping the pot roast into smaller chunks and adding a pot.
- To the same pot add 1 onion cut in half, 8 garlic cloves, 4 bay leaves, and 1 tablespoon salt or to taste.
- Boil for about 2 hours and don’t forget to skim the impurities from the top.
- While the meat cooks, let’s prepare the sauce. Start by opening the dried chili pods and removing all of the seeds and veins.
- Wear gloves when removing the seeds and veins!
- Also, rinse the chili pods to make sure there’s no dirt on the outside.
- To a medium pot, fill with enough water to cover the 12 chili pods.
- Bring the pot of water to a boil, once it has come to a boil add the chili pods to the water 20 minutes and turn off the heat and set aside.
- To another small pot, add water and the roma tomatoes and boil for about 10 minutes or until softened. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- To a blender add black pepper, cumin, marjoram, thyme, oregano, ginger, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, cloves, ½ an onion, garlic cloves, tomatoes, cooked chilies, chipotle pepper, and 1 cup of the cooking liquid from the chilies. Blend until you have a smooth puree. If you need to add more liquid, it’s ok to add more liquid so it blends more smoothly.
- Once the meat has fully cooked, about 3 ½ hours, remove the meat from the beef broth and chop into smaller pieces or shred and return to the pot. If pieces are to your liking, leave as is. Also, remove any large chunks of fat and discard.
- To the pot, over a strainer, pour the chili sauce. Move around with a spoon because it is very thick.
- You should be left with only the pulp of the chilies in the strainer. Discard the pulp. Repeat until all of the sauce has been strained into the pot.
- Add salt to taste. Start by adding 1 teaspoon at a time while tasting the stew to make sure you achieve your desired amount of saltiness.
- Simmer for about another 20-30 minutes.
- Serve in a bowl topped with onion and cilantro and some lime wedges on the side.
- Optionally you can add your favorite salsa and enjoy with a warm corn tortilla.
Keywords: Beef Birria, beef stew
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