Jonathan Zaragoza

Baking/Cooling rack(s)

1/2 Sheet pan(s)

Dutch oven

The Control Freak™ Home

Breville Super Q™

Fine-mesh strainer

The Control °Freak® induction cooking system

Beef short ribs

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Lard

White onion(s)

Garlic clove(s)

Ancho chile(s)

Guajillo chile(s)

Cascabel chile(s)

Black peppercorns

Mexican oregano

Cumin seeds

Coriander seeds

Allspice

Thyme

Mexican cinnamon

Roma tomato(es)

Distilled vinegar

Chicken bouillon powder

Bay leaf

Corn tortillas

Cilantro

Lime(s)

Hot sauce

Salsa

Goat vs. beef birria: In Jalisco, birria is traditionally made with goat, whereas in Tijuana, where cattle ranching is more common than goat herding, beef birria is king. However, there are other key differences between the two preparations beyond the choice of protein.

The cooking process for beef birria is closer to a traditional braise. The meat is seasoned and seared, then simmered in an aromatic consomé made with tomato, alliums, dried chiles, spices, and vinegar. Once tender, the meat is removed, the rendered fat on the surface of the consomé is used for dipping tortillas, and the consomé is strained and served with the birria as a composed dish, alongside tacos for dipping or even on its own for sipping.

The preparation for goat birria is markedly different. The meat is seasoned, steamed until tender, then marinated in a mole. Finally, the marinated, cooked goat is roasted in lard (borrowing from the traditional cooking method for carnitas). The consomé, instead of being a braising liquid for the meat, is prepared separately: Tomatoes are simmered until completely broken down, then fermented overnight, and the mixture is seasoned, blended, and served with the birria as a composed dish, alongside tacos for dipping or even on its own for sipping. The consomé itself doesn’t have any chiles; the chile heat comes from the mole used to marinate the goat.

Cuts of beef for birria: Goat birria traditionally utilizes the whole animal, which yields a bunch of different textures and deeper flavor than using a single cut of meat. For beef birria, tough cuts that are well-suited for braising are the way to go. This recipe calls for boneless short rib, since it’s easy to come by and has a nice mix of tough muscle, connective tissue, and fat.

You can use other <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/cuts">cuts</a>, such as <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/cuts/beef-chuck-roll">chuck</a>, <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/cuts/beef-oxtail">oxtail</a>, or beef cheeks (or a mix of them all). Feel free to experiment with cuts, but keep in mind you want <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/decoding-tough-and-tender-cuts">tougher cuts</a> with ample collagen (connective tissue) and fat. 
 
{activity:1QXL8QamC28HG0YjrRybJK} 
{activity:72fTyiC1JlnluCPcwlXV0A}

Jalisco-Style Goat Birria

Decoding Tough and Tender Cuts

Before we begin

Place short ribs on a wire rack set inside a 1/2 sheet pan. Season short ribs evenly on all sides with 20 g salt. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours.

Dry-brine beef overnight

Pat short ribs dry with paper towels, then season on all sides with pepper.

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, heat 20 g lard over high heat until just smoking. Add half of the short ribs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer seared short ribs to a sheet pan or plate. Repeat searing process with remaining meat. Set seared meat aside.

Sear short ribs

As someone who cooks birria for a living, I’ve had trouble wrapping my head around the idea of beef birria.

In Jalisco, the birthplace of birria, it’s a strictly defined preparation. Birria is traditionally made with goat; it’s cooked in an earthen oven over a wood fire; and you have to use agave leaves. From there, you can do whatever you want, but without those three elements, it isn’t birria.

After researching different styles of birria, my stance on what qualifies as birria has mellowed out, in large part because my friend Jose Figueroa, an incredible chef and a native son of “El Brazo Poderoso”—Baja California—gave me a tour of birrierias in Tijuana.

Since cattle ranching is much more prevalent in Northern Mexico (and here in the States), birrierias use beef, and I was blown away by how rich and flavorful birria de res can be—it was some of the best birria I’ve ever had.

Is it really birria if it’s made from beef?

Heat remaining 60 g lard in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and 5 g salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until onion and garlic are golden brown, about 6 minutes.

Add ancho, guajillo, and cascabel chiles, along with peppercorns, oregano, cumin, coriander, allspice, thyme, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently, until spices are bloomed and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally until tomatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Cook aromatics for consomé

Add beef stock and vinegar, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until tomatoes and chiles are completely tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool at room temperature for 5 minutes.

Beef Stock

Simmer consomé

Working in batches, transfer contents of pot to jar of a countertop blender, and blend on high speed until smooth. Season with remaining 10 g salt and bouillon powder.

Blend consomé

The key to great birria de res is the consomé—the brothy, assertively spiced and seasoned braising liquid that eventually becomes a co-star for the dish alongside the beef itself. Think of it as the equivalent of the “gravy” for an <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/precision-italian-beef">Italian beef</a>.

But consomé is so much more than a jus. The fat that rises to the top of the consomé is used for dipping tortillas before they get griddled for <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/quesabirria">quesabirria</a>; the consomé itself is seasoned and can be served with the birria as a hearty main course or as a side for tacos for dipping; or the consomé can be served all on its own as a sipping broth.

Birria is all about the consomé.

Return consomé to pot, along with seared short ribs and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover pot and cook, checking occasionally to make sure meat is submerged, until meat is fork-tender, 4 to 5 hours.

Cook birria

Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer beef to a cutting board. Chop or pull meat to desired texture and season with additional salt to taste if needed. Skim fat from surface of consomé and reserve for dipping tortillas and making <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/quesabirria">Quesabirria Tacos</a>. Strain consomé through a fine-mesh strainer and season with salt to taste.

Finish birria and consomé

Divide meat between individual bowls and ladle consomé over top. Garnish with onion and cilantro. Serve with tortillas, passing lime wedges, hot sauce, and salsa at the table.

Alternatively, serve as tacos with consomé on the side for dipping, or take it to the next level and make <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/quesabirria">Quesabirria Tacos</a>. 
 
{activity:5AvkPgubahb3qQWv8M2SHo}

Recipe for quesabirria tacos using either Tijuana-style beef birria or Jalisco-style goat birria.

Quesabirria Tacos

Serve or make quesabirria

Birria can be made in advance through Step 6 and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week. If making birria in advance, keep braised short rib pieces whole and in the consomé.

Consomé can be made in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Make-ahead and storage

You’d be hard-pressed to find a dish that’s blown up in popularity quite like birria in the past few years. Tacos, pizza, ramen—<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYey8ntlK_E">we can &lt;s&gt;pickle&lt;/s&gt; birria that!</a> And if you’ve had birria, odds are that you’ve enjoyed this beefy braised version from Northern Mexico, rather than the OG <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/goat-birria">goat birria from Jalisco</a>.Let’s get this out of the way: Beef birria is legit, it’s delicious, and, for most folks, it’s more approachable than goat. Beef is easier to source, and this version takes one day to make instead of three. This is a great introduction to birria, and you can always graduate to the G.O.A.T.

Tijuana-Style Beef Birria

Our beef stock is some of the darkest and richest we’ve ever tasted. As with traditional stocks, we roast the bones before cooking to deepen the flavor, and add cow’s feet, which break down during the low and slow cooking process and add body to the stock. (Substitute oxtail for a similar effect.) Using a SousVide Supreme gives us the ultimate temperature control, and unlike other beef stocks that simmer for eight hours or so, we like to cook ours for a full day when time allows.