What exactly is birria? Well, for one it’s delicious, that’s all you really need to know. But, for those who are a little more curious, traditionally, birria is a braised goat’s meat stew which originated in the Mexican state of Jalisco. When made with beef, you get birria de res. It’s smoky with just the right amount of heat and makes it’s own luxurious sauce created from the braising liquids. The flavors are so rich and deep and the meat is melt in your mouth tender. It’s life changing! It’s also incredibly easy to prepare. Most of the work is done while the meat slowly braises leaving the cook free to check other things off the to-do list.
I’ve created my own take on birria de res using beef chuck roast and extra easy to find grocery store ingredients so even the most rural of readers can easily find everything they need to create this delicious and versatile dish. From tacos, enchiladas, burrito bowls, hearty stew, there are so many delicious ways to serve this dish. Read to the end, I tell you how I even made a brunch dish! Company coming for dinner? If your guests are a fan of Mexican fare, this dish is an excellent choice! We’ve already established how delicious it is, BUT, the way your house will smell when your guests arrive will have their mouths watering!
Cooking Vessel
This recipe includes both Dutch oven/braiser and slow cooker versions. I will always pick the Dutch oven/braiser, but I know so many of you are loyal to your slow cookers. No matter the cooking vessel, this recipe is a winner! If you’re looking to splurge on a Dutch oven or braiser, I use this Le Creuset Braiser more than any other pan in my kitchen. Highly recommend. I also found this beautiful slow cooker at Wal-mart the other day. Beautiful and slow cooker don’t often go together, so I wanted to share the wealth! I’m going to try to incorporate more slow cooker recipes into the mix here on HIH. Stay tuned!
Keys to Success
- Get deep caramelization on your onions, tomatoes and beef. This is where you start to develop deep rich flavor! While you might be tempted to just throw all of the ingredients into the Dutch oven or slow cooker and let it go, don’t go rogue here. I’m not saying it wouldn’t still be pretty darn delicious, but the process of caramelizing and then deglazing takes it to another level!
- Taste as you go. Keeping food safety in mind (don’t taste if there’s under-done meat) taste as you go to ensure the best end result. I love this recipe as it’s written, but you may like more salt, more heat, or want to add a bit of lime juice.
- Keep blender safety in mind! Always use caution when blending hot liquids. I’ve mentioned this before in the HIH Easy Roasted Sweet Potato Soup post. Remember not to overfill your blender. Cover the hole in the top of the blender with a towel instead of the plastic plug to allow steam to escape, and start with lower setting. You could use an immersion blender, but the risk of spraying soup all over your kitchen is too high for my liking!
Birria de Res – Shredded Mexican Beef
Equipment
- 1 large Dutch oven or braiser you could also use a slow cooker. See recipe notes for instructions.
- 1 blender
- 1 tongs
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chuck roast
- 2 tablespoons oil olive, vegetable, avocado
- 1 large yellow onion, or 2 small peeled and quartered
- 2 large tomatoes cored and halved
- 7 oz can chipotle peppers in adobo
- 10 oz can tomatoes and green chiles
- 1 head garlic skin on, top removed
- 3 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground clove
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275°F. (No need to preheat the oven if you're utilizing a slow cooker)
- Generously salt the outside of the chuck roast and set aside.
- Heat the dutch oven or braiser over medium-high heat. Add ½ of the oil to the pan and allow to heat. Caramelize all sides of the onions then remove and set aside. Repeat with the halved tomatoes.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan and sear the chuck roast on all sides. Remove and set aside with the caramelized onions and tomatoes.
- Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of the beef broth and the tablespoon of white vinegar, using a wooden spoon to loosen all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- If using a slow cooker, follow the steps in the notes section. If using a dutch oven or braiser, continue to follow the remaining instructions below.
- Turn the heat off and add the onions, tomatoes, canned tomatoes and green chiles, the chipotle peppers in adobo, clove, and oregano to the dutch oven or braiser and stir just to combine. Nestle the chuck roast into the pan and add beef broth until 1/3 of the chuck roast is exposed.
- Add the bay leaves and head of garlic with the open top facing up.
- Cover with the lid and place in the oven to cook for 3 hours or until the meat is tender and easily shreds.
- Once your meat has cooked, carefully remove the meat and the head of garlic from the dutch oven and set aside. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- To a blender, add the remaining contents of the dutch oven. Once cool enough to touch, squeeze the head of garlic to push the soft cloves out and into the blender. Blend until smooth. Taste, add salt if necessary.
- Add the chuck roast back to the dutch oven and shred with tongs or forks then add the desired amount of sauce back to the meat. Bring up to a simmer and your birria is ready to be served as tacos, burrito bowls, or on it's own as a beefy Mexican stew.
- Store any leftover sauce in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Add the liquid from deglazing to the slow cooker along with the caramelized onions, and tomatoes along with the tomatoes with green chiles, chipotle peppers in adobo, oregano, bay leaves and clove.
- Add the seared chuck roast followed by the head of garlic with the open top facing up.
- Add enough beef broth until 1/3 of the chuck roast is still exposed.
- Cook on low for 7-8 hours until the meat is tender and easily pulls apart.
- Remove the meat and the head of garlic from the slow cooker. Discard the bay leaves.
- Add the remaining contents of the crock pot to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste, add salt if necessary.
- Add the meat back to the slow cooker and shred with tongs or forks. Add the desired amount of sauce and stir to combine. Turn the slow cooker to high and heat until hot and ready to serve.
- Store leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Nutrition
Top 4 Birria de Res Dishes
- Birria Tacos. Simple meets delicious. Char flour or corn tortillas, top with birria meat and your favorite taco toppings. Perfect for a taco bar!
- Birria Enchiladas. Fill corn tortillas dipped in birria sauce with birria meat and shredded cheese. Roll up, place seam side down in a baking dish, top with more cheese, bake at 350 degrees F until the cheese is bubbly and the edge are browned. Serve with lettuce, sour cream, cilantro, and avocado.
- Birria Stew. This is the traditional way of serving birria. Add all of the sauce back to the meat to create a thick stew. Serve in bowls with your favorite garnishes. Cheese, onion, cilantro, avocado, radishes and sour cream are my favorite.
- Birria Burrito Bowl. Forget Chipotle, this birria de res will make the best burrito bowl you’ve ever eaten! Make a quick cilantro lime rice by adding lime juice, finely chopped cilantro, salt, and a little bit of neutral oil to your cooked rice, then top with your usual burrito bowl toppings. I really like finishing with this Herdez Cilantro Lime Cremosa.
Honorable Mention
I’m have to give an honorable mention to birria de res as a brunch dish. Yesterday, I made an eggs benedict inspired dish with toasted English muffin topped with the shredded meat, a poached egg and then a ladle of the sauce over the top and some cilantro. HOLY SMOKES, delicious doesn’t even begin to cover it. I highly recommend giving it a try. Brunch, lunch or dinner, this recipe has you covered!
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[…] last week’s Birria de Res post, my Mexican and Latin American food cravings would not stop. I needed tacos and I needed them in […]