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Birria de Res Recipe (Beef Birria)

May 29, 2020 By Patrick 20 Comments

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After weeks of making vegetarian dishes I started to crave this rich, succulent Birria de Res for some reason πŸ™‚    

And while Birria is traditionally made with goat in Mexico, I get way more mileage from a batch of Beef Birria so I used beef brisket for this batch. 

This 3 lb. recipe will give you all sorts of options with your leftovers, so feel free to use it as a starting point for on-the-fly tacos, burritos, tostadas, etc. 

Beef Birria tacos

How To Make Birria de Res

Regardless of the protein you choose, the underlying sauce stays the same and is built using dried chiles, a bit of sweetness from some roasted tomatoes, and depth from the aromatics. 

It’s a wonderfully rich sauce and I think it’s a great example of Mexican cuisine at its finest.  

Adding red sauce to slow cooker 

Beef brisket or chuck roast are both great options for this recipe, and since they respond well to low-and-slow cooking we’ll go ahead and whip out the slow cooker.   But don’t sweat it if you don’t have a slow cooker as simmering on the stove will give you an equally good result.   

As usual, I start by putting the tomatoes in the oven (400F) for a quick roast.   We’re waiting on the chiles to reconstitute so I usually just leave the tomatoes in until I need them. 

Roasting the tomatoes

And since the oven is on we’ll use that to wake up the dried chiles. 

De-stemming and de-seeding the dried chiles

For this batch I used:

4 Ancho dried chiles  What are Anchos?
3 New Mexican dried chiles
2 chipotles in adobo (from a can, so added later on)

I love this combo of Ancho and New Mexican chiles and I use it quite often, but there is leeway on the dried chiles so feel free to improvise.

And since both of these chiles are mild in heat I went ahead and added 2 chipotles.  Using 2 chipotles gives the sauce some real zip, but you can always use less or omit them for a milder batch.  More info on working with chipotles.  

To wake up the dried chiles you can always use a dry skillet over medium heat, but lately I just put them in the oven for 1-2 minutes or until they are warm and fragrant.

Rehydrating the chiles makes them easier to grind up so we’ll cover them with hot tap water for 20-30 minutes.

Reconstituting the dried chiles

If the chiles float to the surface you can always use a plate or small bowl to keep them submerged.

We’ll also saute a roughly chopped onion and 6 peeled garlic cloves in some oil over medium heat. 

Saute onion and garlic over medium heat

It’s all going in the blender eventually, so I just roughly chop the onion and leave the garlic cloves whole. 

We’re also going to give the meat a quick sear before adding it to the slow cooker.  This is 3 lbs. of beef brisket cut into chunks:

3 lbs. beef brisket

After a good salting you can add it to an oiled, pre-heated skillet on medium-high heat and give it a few minutes per side. 

Searing beef brisket for Birria de Res

This quick sear will add in some extra flavor.  More info on the Maillard reaction.

And when possible, I usually deglaze the pan to pick up any priceless bits of fond.  And since this recipe calls for 2 cups of stock I used some Better Vegetable Stock to deglaze the pan that seared the meat.

Adding vegetable stock to deglaze the pan

I didn’t reduce the stock down, I just brought it up to a simmer and scraped up the solid bits of flavor that were leftover in the pan.  It had a rich, savory, beefy flavor and I had to stop myself from slurping it down πŸ™‚

And now everything goes in the blender along with a few other ingredients:

the roasted tomatoes
the cooked onion-garlic mixture
the deglazed stock
the drained, reconstituted chiles
2 chipotles in adobo
1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano  What is Mexican Oregano?
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of ground clove
2 teaspoons salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Give it a whirl and take a taste.

Birria sauce after blending

Hello Birria sauce!  It has a massively satisfying flavor that will only get better as it simmers away with the beef.  Awesome πŸ™‚

A couple notes on this sauce:

Half of the world will prefer to use the chiles’ soaking liquid to liquefy the sauce, as opposed to using stock.   The other half, including me, thinks the soaking liquid tastes bitter.  To test this, just take a taste of the chiles’ soaking liquid and you’ll know if it’s an option for your kitchen. 

Two teaspoons of salt is a lot for just the sauce so it will taste a little salty.  But once the beef gets shredded you’re going to need it so I usually add it in now.  Alternatively, you can add 1 teaspoon of salt now and more to taste once the beef is cooked. 

And it only takes a small amount of cinnamon and clove to give the sauce some depth, so don’t go overboard with those or they’ll dominate too much.

Okay, time to plop the seared beef pieces in the slow cooker and cover them with the Birria sauce.

Adding red sauce to slow cooker

Cook on low for 5-6 hours.  That gives the beef plenty of time to tenderize. 

As mentioned, you are welcome to simmer this on the stove for a few hours and you can get an equally good result. 

Once cooked you can optionally skim off any fat that has risen to the surface. 

Shredded Beef Birria 

I usually shred the cooked beef with two forks and set aside any fatty chunks that have done their job for flavor but don’t necessarily want to be eaten (see left side in above photo).

Note:  the flavor of the sauce won’t penetrate into the beef chunks as much as you might think despite co-existing for 5 hours.  Rather, the flavor of the beef imparts itself into the sauce, so adding the sauce back into the shredded beef is the key to the recipe!

I usually add the shredded beef to a bowl and douse it with enough sauce to completely coat it.

Beef Birria after adding sauce back into it

You’ll get a wonderfully savory batch of shredded beef that you can use in all sorts of dishes.

You’ll have enough sauce to turn this into a delicious Birria Soup (recipe coming soon) but I chose the simplest route possible because I was getting hangry, i.e. tacos!

Cooking Beef Birria tacos

The meat is so flavorful that you can just plop it on some cheesy, crispy corn tortillas and dinner is served πŸ™‚

I usually crisp up the tortillas for a couple minutes in a dry skillet and if the meat has cooled I will add it on top for a quick reheat.   Once the underside of the tortillas has light brown spots forming they are ready to roll. 

That means there was time to whip up a quick Salsa de Aguacate as the tortillas were crisping up in the skillet:

Salsa de Aguacate in serving bowl.

This is a creamy Avocado sauce that will taste mild and maybe even a little bland out of the blender, but something awesome happens when you pair it with bold, spicy meats.  

You can see that recipe here but the ingredient list look like this:

1 avocado
1/4 cup water
juice of 1 lime
4-5 sprigs cilantro
1/2 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon salt

I also added some raw onion, freshly chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime to these tacos.

Beef Birria tacos

And they were carnivorously delicious πŸ™‚

Feel free to get creative with your Birria de Res.  It has such a rich, satisfying flavor and you can build all sorts of quick meals from it:

Tacos
Tostadas
Burritos
Tortas
Enchiladas!

And here are a few more ideas for toppings that will work well on your freshly made Birria:

Pickled Onions
Queso Fresco
Chipotle Crema
Curtido – Pickled Cabbage Slaw
Pico de Gallo
Pickled Jalapenos

Buen Provecho. 

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Beef Birria tacos

Birria de Res -- Beef Birria

Yowsa what a treat to make a huge batch of Beef Birria -- it's such a rich, satisfying flavor and you can use the Birria to make all sorts of on-the-fly meals.
5 from 10 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Servings: 8
Calories: 438kcal
Author: Mexican Please

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs. beef brisket or chuck roast
  • 4-5 Roma tomatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 3-4 Ancho dried chiles
  • 2-3 New Mexican dried chiles
  • 2 chipotles in adobo (optional)
  • 1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from the can, optional)
  • 2 cups stock
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of ground clove
  • 2 teaspoons salt (plus more to taste)
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • olive oil

For the tacos (optional):

  • corn tortillas
  • Salsa de Aguacate
  • finely chopped raw onion
  • cilantro
  • squeeze of lime

Instructions

  • Start by rinsing and de-stemming the tomatoes. Roast them in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes or until you need them.
  • Wipe off any dusty crevasses on the dried chiles. De-stem and de-seed the chiles, but don't worry about getting rid of every last seed. Roast them in the oven for 1-2 minutes or until warm and fragrant. Add the chile pieces to a bowl and cover them with the hottest tap water you've got. Let them reconstitute for 20 minutes or so.
  • Roughly chop 1Β onion and peel 6 garlic cloves. Add a glug of oil to a skillet on medium heat and saute the onions and whole garlic cloves until lightly browned.
  • Add a thin layer of oil to a skillet and preheat to medium-high. Chop up the brisket into chunks and give it a good salting. Sear each side of the beef in the skillet for a few minutes or until it is browning. Add the seared meat pieces to the slow cooker. You can optionally deglaze the pan with the 2 cups of stock.
  • Before draining the reconstituted chiles take a taste of the soaking liquid. If it tastes bitter to you then use stock for the sauce. If you like the flavor you are welcome to use the soaking liquid in place of the stock.
  • Add the drained chiles, roasted tomatoes, and the onion-garlic mixture to a blender along with: 2 cups of stock, 2 chipotles in adobo (optional), 1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can (optional), 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, pinch of ground clove, 2 teaspoons salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Combine well.
  • Take a taste of the sauce. An easy to way to add more heat is to add an additional half or whole chipotle. Keep in mind that the sauce has to compete with the big flavor of the beef so I tend to make it salty and fiery at this point.
  • Cover the seared meat pieces with the sauce. Slow cook on low for 5-6 hours.
  • Once cooked you can optionally skim off any fat that has risen to the surface. Shred the beef using two forks and discard any fatty chunks that you don't want to eat.
  • Add the shredded beef (or as much as you are using for tonight's meal) to a separate bowl and add enough sauce to give it a thorough coating. Adding the sauce to the shredded beef is the key so don't skip this step!
  • One serving option is to simply add the shredded beef back to the sauce and serve it soup style -- you may need to thin out the sauce with some stock if you choose this option.
  • But I chose tacos for this batch. Add corn tortillas to a dry skillet over medium heat along with slices of cheese. Once the cheese is melted and the underside of the tortillas are forming light brown spots they are ready to go. You can optionally add the meat to the tortillas in the skillet for a quick reheat.
  • I topped these tacos with Salsa de Aguacate, finely chopped raw onion, freshly chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
  • Store leftover Birria in the fridge where it will keep for a few days.

Notes

If you don't want to use a slow cooker you can simmer this recipe on the stove for a few hours (covered) and get an equally good result.Β 
Feel free to get creative with the dried chiles as there is tons of leeway on this.Β  In other words, if you use what you have available (plus some heat) then most likely you'll be happy with the result.Β 
For a milder batch, you can use only 1 chipotle in adobo or omit them.Β 
Be sure to take a taste of the chiles' soaking liquid. If it tastes bitter to you then use stock for the sauce.Β  If you like the flavor you are welcome to use the soaking liquid in place of the stock.
Here's the recipe for Salsa de Aguacate.
Like this recipe?Click the stars above to rate it or leave a comment down below! @mexplease

You can use similar ingredients to make an awesome batch of Chili con Carne. 

If you grew up with Chili then you MUST try this authentic Chili con Carne. Using dried chiles gives you a massive upgrade in flavor -- so good!

 

Want to see my latest post?  It’s this Mexican Shredded Chicken.

Adding shredded chicken to the Tinga sauce

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Filed Under: Main Dish, Most Popular, Most Recent, Tacos

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Emma

    December 17, 2020 at 9:51 am

    5 stars
    Just made this and it has a few more hours before the beef is shreddable but this sauce tastes FANTASTIC! I used guajillo and pasilla peppers and it’s so flavorful and the perfect marriage of zesty and smokey flavors. I already know I’m gonna be making this sauce again and again.

    Reply
    • Patrick

      December 18, 2020 at 2:00 pm

      Ahh that’s great to know Emma! And thanks for mentioning your chiles, it’s good to hear a thumbs up on that combo. Cheers.

      Reply
  2. Kathleen

    December 14, 2020 at 12:59 pm

    This is fabulous. And it makes a lot! I turned some of it into a bean and birria soup, some into enchiladas . . . and of course, tacos. I used my slow cooker for this and it did just fine.

    Reply
    • Patrick

      December 15, 2020 at 3:29 pm

      Hey thanks much for the feedback Kathleen! Yeah that is the beauty of a big batch….so many free meals coming your way πŸ™‚ Cheers.

      Reply
  3. Brenda Neill

    September 20, 2020 at 8:17 am

    this the 3rd recipe for this i tried…and you nailed it. I was using the pepper water and i used chilis colorado and guajillo. it was horrible. i used your recipe with the ancho and chili colorado as this time couldnt find guajillo. amazing. i did add a tinsy bit of sugar to balance the acid of the tomatos. I cant wait for the meat to finish cooking. also im doing a recipe of time 4 for 25 people. so we will see how long i have to cook it lol

    Reply
    • Patrick

      September 21, 2020 at 10:08 pm

      Thanks Brenda, so glad you found this recipe! Yup, I had many failures before learning the chile soaking liquid was too bitter for my palate πŸ™‚ Cheers.

      Reply
  4. Darryn

    September 1, 2020 at 1:52 pm

    Awesome recipe, Patrick! Made these tonight with your homemade corn tortillas. Everything came out excellent! Made this with beef short ribs as I couldn’t find chuck roast or brisket. Will be making this again!

    Reply
    • Patrick

      September 1, 2020 at 3:43 pm

      Thanks Darryn! Good to know it worked with the short ribs. Cheers.

      Reply
  5. Debbie Housden

    August 15, 2020 at 1:43 am

    5 stars
    Great tasting!! Instead of a slow cooker, I cooked in my Instant Pot for 25 minutes. It was fast and easy and the whole family love it. With the extra sauce left over, I added some cooked shredded chicken I had on hand, and now I had Birria de Pollo.

    Your recipes are amazing, Patrick.

    Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Patrick

      August 17, 2020 at 9:35 pm

      Ahh thanks much for your note Debbie, so good to know it still turned out well — 25 minutes sounds like a bargain!

      Reply
  6. Deb

    June 10, 2020 at 5:42 am

    5 stars
    While the family was busy working outside on a big landscaping job, I made this and toted over for diner. It took awhile and I ended up finishing in the instant pot. Turned out great and everyone loved it. Served with your quinoa-salad-lime-cilantro-dressing/ and a side of black beans. Leftovers made tasty rice bowls the next day. Thanks and love your blog.

    Reply
    • Patrick

      June 12, 2020 at 2:28 pm

      Ahh great thanks much for your note Deb. It’s only been a couple weeks since my last Birria batch but I am already craving it again πŸ™‚ Cheers.

      Reply
  7. Melissa D Parish

    June 2, 2020 at 8:57 am

    5 stars
    Oh my gosh, Patrick, you outdid yourself with this one. I followed the instructions exactly and it turned out amazing, our mouths are still on fire and we LOVE it that way. I used the Better Vegetable Broth, too! I’ll leave a separate comment for that.

    Reply
    • Patrick

      June 2, 2020 at 3:19 pm

      Ahh awesome, so glad this one was a hit for you Melissa — and I’m glad you tried that Better Veggie Stock too as that one was a revelation for me πŸ™‚ Cheers.

      Reply
  8. Esther

    June 1, 2020 at 5:01 pm

    I’m drooling right now! Love anything that can be cooked in a crockpot.
    On the list for this weekend.

    Reply
    • Patrick

      June 2, 2020 at 3:19 pm

      Go for it Esther πŸ™‚

      Reply
  9. dee

    May 31, 2020 at 5:59 am

    Hi hope u can help me out here, it seems the last, what 5, 10 years we’ve been using Adobo chili on everything? I can’t stand that taste. so is there another chili I can use instead of the famous Adobo chili? your recipe is something I could do, but no Adobo please/ thank u for your time.

    Reply
    • Patrick

      June 2, 2020 at 3:22 pm

      Hi Dee, are you referring to the chipotles in adobo? Is that the flavor that you don’t like?

      Reply
  10. John

    May 30, 2020 at 6:39 am

    5 stars
    Excellent recipes, but why look at them when I’ve not yet had breakfast? Delicious Torture.

    Reply
    • Patrick

      June 2, 2020 at 3:27 pm

      Birria for breakfast is completely legal πŸ™‚

      Reply

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