Quesabirria Tacos

Ingredients

• 3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
• 1 pound beef short ribs or oxtail (for extra gelatin and flavor)
• 6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried chiles de árbol (optional, for heat)
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 white onion, quartered, plus 1/2 cup finely diced for serving
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups beef broth, plus water as needed
• Salt, to taste
• 24 corn tortillas
• 3 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese (or mozzarella)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges, for serving

Before you cook

• Toast the guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side until fragrant and pliable
• Soak the toasted chiles in a bowl of hot water for 15 minutes until softened
• Pat the beef chunks and short ribs dry with paper towels and season generously with salt
• Finely dice the onion for serving and set aside
• Chop the cilantro for serving

Steps

1. Drain the softened chiles and transfer them to a blender
2. Add the quartered onion, garlic, tomatoes, chipotles in adobo, vinegar, cumin, oregano, and 1 cup of beef broth to the blender
3. Blend until completely smooth, adding more broth if needed to loosen the mixture
4. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add a couple tablespoons of oil
5. Sear the beef chunks and short ribs in batches, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply browned, then remove to a plate
6. Pour the blended chile sauce into the same pot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, to deepen its flavor
7. Return the seared meat to the pot along with the cinnamon stick and bay leaves
8. Pour in the remaining beef broth until the meat is mostly submerged, adding water if needed
9. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot
10. Simmer the birria for 3 to 3.5 hours, checking occasionally, until the meat shreds easily with a fork
11. Remove the meat from the pot and shred it with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat
12. Strain the braising liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a separate pot, discarding the cinnamon stick and bay leaves; this is your consomé
13. Skim a few tablespoons of the orange fat that rises to the top of the consomé into a small bowl and reserve it
14. Taste the consomé and season with additional salt as needed
15. Toss the shredded beef with a few spoonfuls of the consomé to keep it moist
16. Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat
17. Dip one tortilla into the reserved fat or the consomé itself, coating both sides lightly
18. Lay the dipped tortilla on the hot griddle
19. Sprinkle a small handful of shredded cheese over half of the tortilla and top with a portion of shredded beef
20. Cook for about 2 minutes until the cheese begins to melt and the bottom is browned
21. Fold the tortilla over onto itself to form a taco
22. Press down gently and flip, cooking another 1 to 2 minutes per side until crisp and golden on both sides
23. Transfer the finished taco to a plate and repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and beef
24. Ladle the hot consomé into small bowls for dipping
25. Serve the tacos immediately with diced onion, cilantro, lime wedges, and the bowls of consomé