You ever hear about something and feel like you’re the last to know? That typically doesn’t happen to me when it comes down to food, but a little thing has snuck up on me. I heard about it first a few months ago, from my boss, and then it’s been poppin up all over my Instagram feed the past couple of weeks. I've seen it so much, and from people who know what they’re talking about when it comes to food, I figured it’s much more than just a fad (like that cream cheese pasta nonsense from last year). Today’s feature is none other than succulent, flavorful, juicy, and lightly crisped Birria Tacos!
Now, let me clarify: it’s not like this dish is anything new…it’s just new-to-me. But how can something, which has been around SINCE THE 1500’s, sneak up on me? What am I even doing here?! Well, this is precisely what I’m doing here - everyday is a chance to learn something new, even if it’s just “new-to-you”. I’m on a search for all things tasty and from around the globe. I’ve been doing the blog now for almost 2 years, and I finally made a meal that hails from Australia. I do spend a lot of time making Euro-centric cuisine, as part of my culinary ridealong series. My biggest ventures are typically in my Christmas In series as well. But, I need to start looking further south, towards Latin and South American culture, and further west towards Asian cuisine. You only really learn when you break out of your comfort zone.
Back to the tacos. Typically these are made with goat meat. But, I couldn’t find it on a whim. I should have made my own tacos, too, but I’ve also been sick; so, I took a convenient approach to making this meal. The author of the recipe is none other than Latina badass Claudette Zepeda. How badass is she? She was on Top Chef and will be the first contestant on the revamped Iron Chef (coming to Netflix on June 15th, and you can read more about it on my Feature of the Month). I also had to phone-a-friend (my boss) because I’ve never eaten a Birria Taco. The main issue I was having was texture and color on the exterior. I wasn’t getting a crisp from the griddle, as directed in the recipe, and they weren’t as red as he remembered. I looked around and saw the skimmed fat (which was blazing red), and knew what needed to be done to tackle both issues. Shallow-pan-fry the tacos in the skimmed fat! The result was epic and my lightly adapted recipe is below.
Birria Tacos
adapted from Food & Wine, Claudette Zepeda
I couldn’t find cascabel peppers so I bumped up the guajillos. If you can make your own tortillas, that would be great. If not, buy some from the store. If they’re inflexible, brush with a little oil, wrap in damp paper towels, and microwave for 30 seconds. Be sure to double up the tortillas. Even though it suggested a single, store-bought tortilla, they were tearing or completely falling apart.
Adobo Marinade
12 dried guajillo chilis
4 dried ancho chilis
Large white onion, chopped
10 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp white vinegar
6 sprigs of thyme
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
1 tbsp Kosher salt + more for seasoning beef
1.5 tsp black pepper
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 cups water
2 lb boneless chuck roast
2 lb beef short ribs
Tacos
Large white onion, minced, rinsed & drained
~½ cup minced fresh cilantro
6” corn tortillas (~24)
Lime wedges from 2 limes
Toast the whole chilis in a large skillet, over medium-high heat, for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a pot and add in 6 cups of water along with the onion, garlic, and ginger and boil for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, season the meat liberally with Kosher salt.
Drain the pepper mixture and transfer to a blender, along with all of the remaining marinade ingredients, except for the meat, and process until smooth (at least 30 seconds). Allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes.
Pour some into the bottom of a large bowl. Add in the roast, followed by the short ribs and cover with the remaining marinade. Cover and set in the fridge for 18-24 hours.
The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat a little oil in a large dutch oven, set over medium-high heat. Sear the meat about 5 minutes per side, then add in the marinade along with 8 cups of water, reduce the heat to medium, and bring to a simmer.
Cover and place in the oven and continue to cook for about 3 hours, until tender, flipping the meat half way through the cook. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the marinade and let cool briefly. Place the pot back over medium heat and reduce to about 8 cups, skimming off the fat from the top and saving it in a bowl (the “Adobo Oil”). Once the adobo is reduced, turn the heat to low.
Meanwhile, combine the minced onion and cilantro with a ¼ tsp of salt and reserve. Shred the meat and discard the bones and any remaining gelatinous fat. Lightly salt the meat and toss with about 1.5 cups of the adobo.
When ready to cook, heat an electric griddle to 400 or a nonstick skillet to medium-high heat. Carefully wipe the skillet with oil-soaked paper towels.
Stack 2 tortillas and dip into the adobo. Using tongs, flip and dip again, then place onto the hot skillet. Top with ¼ cup of the meat and a teaspoon of the onion cilantro mixture. Add more tortillas to the skillet, repeating the process, until it is full. Cook for 2 minutes.
Using a spatula, fold the cooking tortillas and give a gentle press. Cook for 90 seconds; flip and cook for another 90 seconds. Remove from the skillet and reserve. Repeat with all tortillas until the meat is all used.
Cover the bottom of a large cast iron (or non-stick) skillet with some of the reserved Adobo Oil and turn the heat to medium-high. After about 2 minutes, place the cooked tacos into the oil and allow to fry until lightly crispy, flipping after about 90-120 seconds. Remove the fried tacos to a paper towel lined surface. Repeat with the remaining tacos.
When all of the tacos have been fried, place them on a platter. Top with the remaining onion-cilantro mixture, adding lime wedges in the gaps. Portion out the remaining adobo into dipping bowls and serve family style.
To eat, sprinkle the tacos with lime juice, dip into the adobo, and prepare to hear moans of pleasure around the table!
______________________________ Copyright 2022, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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