Every cook makes his or her birria differently. Some season with bay leaves and thyme, some oregano. Some boil the beef, others steam it.
Jesus "Chuy" Nañez of Chuy's Red Tacos, 4511 S. Sixth St., is in the pro-steaming camp. He finds it gives a "better color to the meat, a much better flavor to the meat." The cut Chuy's uses is brisket, he said.
"I know it’s done when I open the pot, take off the foil, shake it and everything wiggles like it's Jell-o, basically. It’s just ready."
This recipe is based on the one Diana Kennedy included in her "The Cuisines of Mexico" book in 1972. Kennedy, now 97, spent a half-century documenting the country's many cuisines and their recipes in eight books over the decades. It bears looking up the original recipe sometime to try it as it was intended, with a mix of lamb shanks, veal and lamb breasts and pork loin, all meats on the bone. But we're talking beef today, so the recipe is adapted.
The dried chiles can be found in any Mexican market or at Cermak. Enjoy the birria with the meat and sauce in a bowl and warmed corn tortillas on the side, or use it as a base for tacos.
It's much quicker and easier to drive to a restaurant for birria, but sometimes a cook needs a project. Birria is one of them. The steps, though, are spread over two days, lightening the tasks.
Beef birria
Makes 8 or more servings
4½ pounds bone-in beef chuck roast, or about 4 pounds boneless
1½ tablespoons salt
4 ancho chiles
2 guajillo chiles
7 cascobel chiles
Hot water to cover
12 black peppercorns
3 whole cloves
Scant ¼ teaspoon dried Mexican or common oregano
Scant ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1½ teaspoons salt
4 large cloves garlic, peeled
½ small white onion, roughly chopped
On serving day:
The meat
1½ cups water
Before serving:
14.5-ounce can tomato puree
Juices from the meat
½ onion, chopped fine
½ cup chopped fresh Mexican or common oregano or cilantro
Corn tortillas for serving
The day before serving, cut the meat into large chunks, 3 inches by 4 inches or so. If there's a bone, cut a couple of gashes in the meat down to the bone. Rub the salt into the surfaces.
Prepare the chile paste. Heat a cast iron pan, comal or griddle over medium heat and toast the chiles lightly; turn them frequently and take care not to burn them. Remove from pan to a work surface and remove the stems, seeds and veins. Place the chiles in a deep bowl and cover with hot water, letting them soak for 20 minutes. Transfer the chiles with a slotted spoon to a blender. Add the spices, herbs, vinegar, salt, garlic and onion to the blender jar and puree until smooth, adding 1 tablespoon of water if necessary.
Cover the meat with the paste (it will be thick), placing it in a non-reactive bowl and refrigerating it for about 18 hours (at least six and up to 24).
On the day you'll be serving the meat, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the water in a large Dutch oven or casserole with a tight-fitting lid. Place the meat on a rack so it's above the water; alternatively, twist lengths of aluminum foil into loose ropes (about six or seven, as many as you need) to place in the water to support the meat.
Lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the pot and place the lid on it, and slide it into the oven to steam and bake for 3½ to 4 hours. The meat is done when it is easily pulled apart with a fork.
Put the meat in a heatproof bowl and let it sit in the still-warm oven. Strain the juices from the bottom of the pan into a large measuring cup — there should be about 2 cups juices. Put the tomato sauce into a saucepan; if the juices are shy of 2 cups, rinse the tomato-puree can with a bit of water and empty it into the measuring cup to bring it up to 2 cups, and pour it into the saucepan with the puree. Bring it to a boil, stirring to combine, and remove from heat. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary.
Serve a portion of meat, shredded or separated into smaller, bite-size pieces, with a scant half-cup of sauce poured over it, and sprinkle it with some of the chopped onion and herb. Eat with tortillas.
Note: Should you want to make even more of a project of it, the original recipe calls for 2 pounds of tomatoes, broiled and pureed, instead of the can of tomato sauce.
RELATED: Beef birria tacos are hot at Milwaukee spots like Chuy's Red Taco, Lazo's, El Tlaxcalteca (subscriber exclusive)
Contact dining critic Carol Deptolla at carol.deptolla@jrn.com or (414) 224-2841, or through the Journal Sentinel Food & Home page on Facebook. Follow her on Twitter at @mkediner or Instagram at @mke_diner.
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Start preparing this beef birria recipe the day before eating - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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