Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, toast the guajillo, morita, and pasilla chiles, stirring often, until they soften and become fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer the toasted chiles to a medium heatproof bowl. Cover them with boiling water. Use a small plate or bowl to keep the chiles submerged. Let them soak until they are rehydrated and pliable, about 20 minutes.
- While the chiles soak, generously season the brisket and oxtails with salt and pepper. In the same pot over medium-high heat, warm the vegetable oil. Cook the beef in batches, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. This takes about 6 to 7 minutes per side for brisket or chuck roast, and 4 to 5 minutes per side for bone-in parts. Transfer the browned beef to a plate or cutting board.
- In a blender, combine the rehydrated chiles, 1 1/2 cups of the chile soaking liquid, tomatoes, garlic, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, vinegar, cumin seeds, and oregano. Blend until a pourable paste forms, adding more chile liquid if needed. This should take about 1 minute.
- Return the browned beef to the pot. Add the quartered onion and bay leaves. Pour in the chile paste. Add enough water to just cover the beef and season with a generous pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
- Remove the pot from the heat, cover it tightly, and bake in the preheated oven until the beef is fork-tender, about 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Once tender, discard the bay leaves and onion. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and reserve the broth (consommé). Shred the beef using two forks.
- Taste the consomé and season with salt and pepper as needed. If you prefer a thinner consomé, add water or chicken or beef stock until you reach your desired consistency.
- To assemble the tacos, heat the consomé in the large pot over medium-low heat until it barely simmers. You should see a layer of dark red fat on top.
- Set up your taco station. Have the simmering consomé on one burner. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or plancha over medium heat on another burner. Place the shredded beef on a plate, and have tortillas, cheese, chopped onions, and cilantro in separate bowls nearby.
- Working in batches, reheat about 1/3 cup of the shredded beef in the cast-iron skillet, leaving space for a tortilla. Toss the beef occasionally until it sears and browns. Dip a corn tortilla into the consomé, coating both sides with the red fat. Place the coated tortilla in the skillet next to the beef and sprinkle generously with cheese.
- Cook the tortilla until the cheese is mostly melted and the underside is browned and starting to crisp, about 3 minutes. Place the seared beef onto one half of the tortilla, then top with chopped onion and cilantro. Fold the tortilla in half to form a taco. Cook for about 30 seconds per side until crisp. Repeat with the remaining beef and tortillas.
- Serve the tacos immediately with lime wedges and small bowls of the consomé for dipping.
Notes
Birria can be made up to 5 days in advance. Store the shredded beef and consomé in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.