Beef Birria Tacos

Serves: 10-12 tacos

Prep Time:  1 hr

Cook Time:  4 hrs, 30 mins

Ingredients

  • 8 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium white onion
  • ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 pounds beef chuck roast (with some bone and fat), cut into 3-4 inch pieces
  • 4 guajillo chilies, stem, seeds, and veins removed
  • 4 ancho chilies, stem, seeds, and veins removed
  • 5 ripe, medium-size tomatoes
  • 2 cups water
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
  • 2 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 2 ½ teaspoons MSG
  • 4 Tablespoons Kitchen Accomplice reduced sodium beef broth concentrate
  • 10-12 flour tortillas
  • Grated Oaxaca or Chihuahua cheese
  • Minced white onion
  • Chopped cilantro


Instructions

  1. Combine in a blender garlic, onion, cider vinegar, black pepper, and cumin. Process until smooth.
  2. Combine the beef and contents from the blender. Let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the guajillo and ancho chilies. Let sit for just a few minutes until softened.
  4. Remove the chilies from the water. Discard the water and place the chilies in a blender along with the tomatoes and 2 cups of water. Puree until smooth. Reserve.
  5. Remove the beef from the marinade, being sure to reserve the marinade.
  6. In a large pan, brown the beef in oil over high heat. It may be necessary to do this in batches. Once the beef is browned, add the reserved marinade, chile mixture, cloves, oregano, salt, MSG, and Kitchen Accomplice reduced sodium beef broth concentrate.
  7. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until the beef is very tender (about 3-4 hours).
  8. Remove the beef from the liquid. Remove bones and excess fat. Chop coarsely.
  9. To make the tacos, dip each tortilla in the braising liquid and then place into a non-stick sauté pan over moderate heat. Sprinkle the tortilla with cheese and then a layer of the chopped meat on half of the tortilla. Sprinkle with more cheese, minced raw onion, and minced cilantro. Spoon a Tablespoon or two of the braising liquid on top of the meat. Fold the tortilla over.
  10. When it is browned on one side, flip over and brown the other side. Cook until the tortilla is nicely browned and the filling is hot.
  11. Serve the tortillas with a small bowl of the braising liquid. (If the liquid is overly reduced, simply add some water to give it a soup-like consistency. Feel free to add more salt and MSG as desired.