One of the best food trends that ever came along ought to be Birria Tacos. Perfectly cheesy, generously stuffed with spicy, slow-cooked, tender meat, and dipped into a flavourful consommé…if it isn’t the best way to enjoy tacos, I seriously don’t know what is! Ever since having my first taste at Birria Taco London, birria tacos have become the only way to enjoy tacos for us. We are obsessed with how good it is, so it’s only natural that I started dabbling around in my kitchen to try my hand at it. I found using beef short ribs works tremendously well for making birria tacos. The naturally high-fat content in beef short ribs means extra flavour and an ultra-tender texture. Traditionally, you’ll need a combination of Guajillo Peppers, Ancho Peppers, Chipotle Peppers, etc., to make the birria. For convenience, since it’s not always the easiest to get your hands on such ingredients, I directly use chipotle paste and some dried red chillies in this recipe. It’s easy to make, convenient and still promises the dreamiest flavours.
What are Birria Tacos
Birria means spicy meat stew, and it is a speciality originating around Guadalajara, Mexico. Cooking birria involves slow-cooking the meat (typically goat, but it’s also common to use lamb/beef) in a spiced broth till it’s super tender. You then dip the tortilla into the stew and utilise the fat released to give the tacos an extra flavour boost. The tortilla is then filled with shredded meat and cheese as it fries in the pan. Once the tortilla is sufficiently crispy on the outside and the cheese has melted on the inside, you fold it up and serve it with a side of consommé and garnishes.
Why You’ll Love This Beef Short Ribs Birria Tacos Recipe
It’s meaty, it’s cheesy, and it’s very flavoursome – the question is, why wouldn’t you love this recipe!? As already mentioned, using beef short ribs yields this extra-tender, pulled-beef-like texture and offers fantastic flavours. Additionally, the recipe has been simplified, meaning it’s extra easy to whip it up to impress the dinner table.
Why Use Beef Short Ribs For Birria?
Beef short ribs have rich marbling that creates a more flavoursome consomme. The meat turns exceptionally tender after slow cooking, resulting in a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. If you don’t have beef short ribs, beef chuck is a good alternative and great for slow-cooking.
What Is Consommé?
Consommé is the rich, flavour-packed broth left behind after slowly cooking the beef with spices, aromatics, and seasonings. It’s traditionally served alongside birria tacos for dipping and is one of the key elements that make birria tacos so irresistible.
How to Make Beef Short Ribs Birria Tacos at Home
Ingredients you need
- Beef Short Ribs
- White Onions
- Garlic Bulb – we will be keeping the skin on and only removing the stem on top
- Carrot
- Beef Stock – from bouillon cubes
- Chipotle Paste
- Dried Red Chillies – soak in hot water for 20 minutes until softened
- Cumin Powder, Smoked Paprika, Oregano, Salt, Black Pepper – spices & seasoning
- Shredded Cheese – I used a mix of both cheddar & mozzarella
- Fresh Coriander Leaves
- Tortilla – flour/corn
Cooking Tips & Recipe Notes
- By keeping the garlic skin on, it imparts extra flavour to the stew.
- Soaking the dried chillies beforehand helps to release more flavour.
- To keep the tacos warm after cooking, simply keep them on an oven tray and place them in the oven at around 60°C.
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Ingredients
For the Birria
- 500 g Beef Short Ribs
- 2 medium Carrots chopped
- 1 whole Garlic Bulb (skin-on) stem removed
- 1 large White Onion quartered
- 1.5 tbsp Chipotle Paste
- 1 L Beef Stock
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tsp Oregano
- 2 pieces Bay Leaves
- Salt & Black Pepper to taste
For the Tacos
- 10 Tortilla flour/corn
- Shredded Cheese (I use a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)
- Jalapenos (optional) sliced
- White Onions chopped
- Fresh Coriander Leaves chopped
Instructions
- Place all the birria ingredients into a large pot. Bring to a boil over high then turn it down to medium-low heat. Cover and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef short ribs are fork-tender.500 g Beef Short Ribs, 2 medium Carrots, 1 whole Garlic Bulb (skin-on), 1 large White Onion, 1.5 tbsp Chipotle Paste, 1 L Beef Stock, 1 tsp Cumin Powder, 1½ tsp Smoked Paprika, 2 tsp Oregano, Salt & Black Pepper, 2 pieces Bay Leaves
- Take the beef short ribs out of the pot and discard the cartilage. Use a fork to pull & shred the meat. Set the pulled meat aside and save the remaining broth in the pot for the consomme.
Assembling the tacos
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Dip the tortilla into the broth and place it onto the pan.10 Tortilla
- Top the tortilla with cheese, meat, jalapeno slices (if using) and a sprinkle of chopped onions (optional).Shredded Cheese, Jalapenos (optional)
- Fold the tortilla. Cook until the cheese has melted and the tortilla has lightly crisped up on both sides.
- Repeat with all the remaining tacos.*
Prepare the consomme
- Season the remaining broth with salt & black pepper according to your taste.
- Place chopped onions and fresh coriander leaves in a small bowl.Fresh Coriander Leaves, White Onions
- Remove any solids from the remaining broth and pour the liquid into the bowl.
- Serve it along with the tacos for dipping.
Notes
- By keeping the garlic skin on, it imparts extra flavour into the stew
- Soaking the dried chillies beforehand helps to release more flavours
- To keep the tacos warm after cooking, simply keep them on an oven tray and place them in the oven set at around 60°C
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I have not made this yet, but you mention soaking peppers and a chipotle paste as two separate things in the blog portion of the recipe. In the recipe what you did with the peppers is never mentioned outside of soaking them for 20 minutes. Did you blend them up into the paste? Is the chipotle paste something else? Can you please clarify?