JENNIFER ALEXANDER RUPLE

Spice up Taco Tuesday with birria, a dish that has gained in popularity at local Mexican restaurants in recent years. Birria is a rich, moderately spicy dish of slow‑cooked meat originating from Jalisco, Mexico. It’s traditionally made from goat or lamb; however, beef is more common in the US. It can be eaten as a soup or stew, or it can be used as a filling for quesabirria tacos, the combination of birria and a quesadilla formed into a taco.

Since first having quesabirria about two years ago, my husband, Tony, and I have wanted to make our own. Here is the recipe we put together. We hope you will make this dish and enjoy it as much as we do.

Slow-Cooked Birria
2-2 ½  pounds chuck roast
2 dried Guajillo chiles
2 dried Ancho chiles
7-ounce can chipotle chiles in adobo paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon cumin
2 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
For serving:
Corn tortillas
Fresh cilantro
Chopped onion
Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Cut the Guajillo and Ancho chiles open and remove seeds. Boil water and remove from heat. Soak the chiles in the water with a saucer placed upside down on top of them for 20 minutes. Reserve soaking water.

Cut chuck roast into 4-5 large chunks, trimming any visible fat. Salt and pepper both sides and sear with a little oil in a pan over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.

To the same pan, add oil, onion, tomatoes, salt, oregano, cumin, cloves and bay leaves. Cook until onions are tender. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the Guajillo and Ancho chiles and cook one minute more. Add chipotle chiles with adobo paste, vinegar, and 1 cup of the reserved chile soaking water. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Once cool, add to a blender and blend at low speed to create a marinade. Strain the marinade.

Add the chuck roast to a slow cooker. Pour the marinade over it. Cook for 2-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

Remove the beef from the pot. Shred with two forks. Reserve juice.

Quesabirria Tacos

To make quesabirria tacos, dip each tortilla in juice or consommé and place in a large frying pan. Add cheese, fill with shredded beef and fold tortillas in half. Serve with extra juice for dipping and top with diced onion and fresh cilantro.