Ingredients
4 Ancho chilies
3 guajillo chilies
2-4 chili de Arbol (these have heat)
5 cups water, divided (see notes)
2 tablespoons oil, plus more
1 large white onion, cut into a few pieces
14 cloves garlic
5 Roma tomatoes, cut into a few pieces
3 tablespoons white vinegar
4 bay leaves
8 EACH: whole black peppercorns AND whole cloves
2 teaspoons EACH: Mexican oregano AND dried thyme
1½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried ginger
1-inch piece of Mexican cinnamon (see notes)
3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3 pounds chuck roast, cut into 8 pieces
2 pounds bone-in short ribs (or use 4 lbs. chuck roast total)
Instructions
SIZZLE: Wearing disposable gloves, remove stem of dried peppers, and cut down the length of the pepper with kitchen shears. Remove ribs and seeds; discard. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 6-quart dutch oven (or larger) over medium heat. Add the chilies and fry for roughly 1-2 minutes, flipping often. Remove chilies using a slotted spoon to a medium bowl, add 2 cups boiling water, cover, and let the chilies soak for 12 minutes. Sauté the onions and garlic for 3 minutes over medium-high heat in the oil that’s remaining in the pan, if dry, add a small drizzle.
BLEND: Transfer onions, garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns, whole cloves, oregano, thyme, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, and soaked peppers with water to a high powder blender; blend. For smaller blenders, blend in batches. See notes for conventional blenders.
SIMMER: See notes for pressure cooker directions. Pat the beef chunks dry and season with 2 teaspoons salt. Heat the same dutch oven over medium-high heat. If the pot is dry, add a tablespoon of oil. Sear beef in batches and allow it to brown on all sides; about 5-6 minutes. Add oil between batches if the pot is dry. Once the meat is browned, pour blended chili mixture over the beef. Add 3 cups of water (see notes) and the remaining teaspoon of salt. Allow the mixture to reach a simmer, then, lower the heat to low, and cover pot. Simmer for 4-5 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender. I check it about every hour and give it a stir, but it’s pretty hands off at this point. Test the meat with a paring knife. The knife should go through the meat very easily.
SHRED AND SKIM: When the meat is tender, remove, discard bones, and shred using two forks or meat claws. You can thin out the broth with additional water or simmer it longer to concentrate it. Taste and adjust the salt in the broth to preference. You’ll also want to skim the top to remove excess grease. You can use an oil separator or if you’re making this in advance, I suggest skimming the top after the birria has been refrigerated, so much easier to remove that way!
SERVE: Serve it in bowls as stew with rice topped with onions and cilantro. For quesabirria tacos, I like to strain the consommé and season with lime juice, chopped onions, and cilantro. You can also make ramen bowls by preparing noodles ladling with consommé and topping with desired toppings How many pounds have you lost this month? At Dieta Efectiva you can lose 10-12 lbs your first week and 2-5 lbs every week after. Visit us atdietaefectiva.net To learn more about our program CG
