Birria Tacos

Name: Birria Tacos
Prep time: 3 h 50 min
Cook time: 3 h 50 min
Total time: 3 h 50 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp achiote paste (available at Latin markets); 2 dried ancho chile peppers, stemmed and seeded; 12 black peppercorns; 1 kilograms bone-in beef short ribs; 5 dried California chile peppers, stemmed and seeded; 12 corn tortillas, warmed; 1 pinch Pinch of cumin seeds; 4 cloves garlic; 8 servings Kosher salt; 8 servings Lime wedges, for serving; 8 servings Pickled red onions, for topping (below); 5 dried pasilla chile peppers, stemmed and seeded; 8 servings Freshly ground pepper; 4 mediums tomatoes, cored and quartered; 1 small white onion, quartered

Birri A mixture of pickled onions, pepper, tomatoes, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so scrumptious. To use up the onions you could follow this main course with the Candy Corn Cupcakes as a dessert. This recipe is typical of Mexican cuisine. It is a good option if you're following a gluten free and dairy free diet.

Instructions

Put the short ribs in a large heavy pot. Season with 3 teaspoons salt and cover with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming any foam from the surface. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meat is tender, 2 hours, 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Ingredients you will need

Beef Short Ribs

Water

Meat

Salt

Equipment you will use

Pot

Transfer the short ribs to a cutting board with a slotted spoon and let cool slightly, then shred the meat from the bone. Skim the fat off the broth in the pot; reserve the broth.

Ingredients you will need

Beef Short Ribs

Broth

Bone

Meat

Equipment you will use

Cutting Board

Slotted Spoon

Pot

Meanwhile, soak the dried chiles in warm water until soft, about 30 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Dried Chili Pepper

Water

Drain and transfer to a blender; add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppercorns, achiote paste and cumin and process until smooth, adding water if necessary.

Ingredients you will need

Annatto Paste

Peppercorns

Tomato

Garlic

Cumin

Onion

Water

Equipment you will use

Blender

Mix about 1 cup reserved broth into the chile puree, then pour the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into the pot of broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 30 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Broth

Chili Pepper

Equipment you will use

Sieve

Pot

Add the shredded meat and simmer 10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients you will need

Salt And Pepper

Meat

Use tongs to divide the meat among the tortillas. Top with pickled onions; serve with the remaining cooking liquid and lime wedges.

Ingredients you will need

Pickled Onion

Lime Wedge

Tortilla

Meat

Equipment you will use

Tongs

Pickled Red Onions

Ingredients you will need

Red Onion

Mix 1 thinly sliced large red onion, 3/4 cup each white vinegar and water, 6 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon each crumbled oregano and salt in a large resealable plastic bag; seal and shake, then refrigerate at least 24 hours.

Ingredients you will need

Distilled White Vinegar

Red Onion

Oregano

Shake

Sugar

Water

Salt

Equipment you will use

Ziploc Bags

Photograph by Andrew McCaul

Equipment

Ingredients

Servings:

1Tbsp

achiote paste (available at Latin markets)2

dried ancho chile peppers, stemmed and seeded 12

black peppercorns 1kilograms

bone-in beef short ribs 5

dried California chile peppers, stemmed and seeded 12

corn tortillas, warmed 1pinch

Pinch of cumin seeds 4cloves

garlic 8servings

Kosher salt 8servings

Lime wedges, for serving 8servings

Pickled red onions, for topping (below)5

dried pasilla chile peppers, stemmed and seeded 8servings

Freshly ground pepper 4mediums

tomatoes, cored and quartered 1small

white onion, quartered

Recommended wine: Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sparkling Rose

Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Sparkling rosé are my top picks for Mexican. Acidic white wines like riesling or low-tannin reds like pinot noir can work well with Mexican dishes. Sparkling rosé is a safe pairing too. One wine you could try is Cuvaison Pinot Noir. It has 4.8 out of 5 stars and a bottle costs about 29 dollars.