My Journey with Birria

[bmillin]

Apparently I cannot say “birria” properly.

I was going to make my first ever batch and was not sure what cut of beef to use.Hey, let’s go to a real carniceria for ingredients - the kind where the butchered meat is displayed along with carnitas etc. So I did.

Went up to the counter to ask what I should use for birria. It went like this.

me: What should I use for beer-ee-ya?

her: burrito?

me:beer-ya

her: burrito?

me: beerrrrrya

she goes in the back and the owner comes out. I explain what’s up.

oh, birria he says. We use diezmillo, how much do you want? He then cuts 3 lbs off of a huge chunk of meat.

next time I’m getting a chuck roast. Same thing.

[jfmorris]

I use chuck roast to make it here. Readily available. A search tells me that diezmillo is a cut of beef from the shoulder, so as you said - chuck is close enough!

[GolfGeezer]

How To Pronounce Birria Tacos

and

How to Pronounce Birria? (CORRECTLY) Mexican Dish Pronunciation - YouTube

[jfmorris]

Well, the one thing I NEVER EVER could do right in high school Spanish class is roll those R's.... so I'm kinda out of luck on saying BEER-RRRREE-AH perfectly....

[fzxdoc]

Ditto for the Rick Bayless recipe that mnavarre linked us to in Post #12. Simple approach and very flavorful. Can be made in DO or CrockPot.

Not too spicy, as guajillos are the only chile he uses in the broth. Just as he does, I make a spicier salsa to go with, so everyone at the table can adjust to their spice level.

I make birria with short ribs and chuck roast together, removing and roasting the short rib bones first, then adding them to the meat before braising, especially if I use the crock pot instead of my DO.

There's a nice flavorful rendered fat layer at the end for use in crisping up the beef and for dipping the tortillas in before griddling them, and the broth, which is used for dipping at the table, is delicious.

I also have made the STCG "Beeria" recipe with chorizo and chicken, in the Instant Pot, for a quick birria meal with a lot of flavor as well. This is great for when I feel guilty about serving too many beef meals.

Kathryn

[klflowers]

Please invite me next time. Pretty please?

[yakima]

Yesterday, Aida was cleaning my teeth. Her mother makes birria, which I cannot pronounce; so she, Aida, was trying to teach me to roll my rr's, without much success. Gave me good leads re dried chiles and corn tortillas in local markets.
Her mother makes it traditionally, but Aida uses an Instant Pot. I did not disclose that I am distantly acquainted with another IP heretic.

[fzxdoc]

Good to know that the IP Heretic Society has a branch there in the PNW.

Kathryn

[yakima]

I am afraid that the IPHS has its tentacles everywhere.

[SheilaAnn]

“Hi, my name is SheilaAnn and I’m an IP Heretic.”

[crowd waves] Hi, SheilaAnn!

The day got away from me and I’m using the IP for the birria right now……

[SheilaAnn]

Ok, so you have the steeped liquid from the chiles…. And there is leftover. Do you toss it? Freeze it?

[SheilaAnn]

Andrrr I can totally reduce it. The recipe I went from (Isabelaeats) said to only use one cup of the steeping liquid. And being this is the first time making this, I wanted to follow the recipe properly, especially because it came recommended above. So, I tasted the steeping liquid. It’s too dang good to toss. I’m going to reduce it and freeze small portions.

[Andrrr]

Be sure to report back on what you use it for!

[barelfly]

Use that liquid in your adovada!!!

[SheilaAnn]

I do not have fahn-cee taco holders like some of y’all (or my go-to Mexican food joint by the house), you get flat tacos until I pick them up to eat. Under the meat is a local cheese from my trip to B.C. the other day. Queso Ahumadora, basically a smoked cheese. Meh, but it melted so good! My birria was rather bland, as in not spicy enough. Did I have old chiles? I dunno. I made homemade pico to top because we love pico. I used flour tortillas because that’s BF’s jams. consommé was good, but not as spicy as I would have liked. I will keep working on this. I did not smoke out of respect for my SoCal neighbors going through their struggles.

[barelfly]

Looks excellent! And perhaps not spicy, but was the consommé flavorful? It all looks wonderful!

[SheilaAnn]

fzxdoc followed the recipe exactly, except that I have Greek oregano, not Mexican. . Even my broth was homemade. We have a little cough going around the house (tested negative for everything), just a nagging cough. I wonder if my taste buds are “off”.

[shify]

Birria isn't usually that spicy - flavorful and full of spice but not spicy/spicy. Of the typical chiles in in it, only the chile de arbol are spicy. Did you use those?
I would also recommend making a quesabirria next time using the chile oil to dip/fry the tortillas. That oil carries a lot of flavor and spice

[Bkhuna]

I wonder just how many other traditional Mexican dishes await "discovery" by Americans. We've put Mexico City at the top of our retirement list. I always keep a notepad near the TV and am keeping a record of all the great street eats around the city.

[yakima]

If not already, look into Diana Kennedy's books, particularly The Essential Cuisines of Mexico, 2000.

[SheilaAnn]

+1 yakima

[yakima]

I now have goat, various Chile peppers, and small white corn tortillas. Plan to follow Troutman's recipe. In a day or three.

[yakima]

Will have birria tacos tonite. Currently stewing goat. Smells great.

[yakima]

This is too much work Great recipe, but...

[realdocBBQ]

It's worth it to me... we've been eating birria for... hell, two weeks now?

<edit> Just checked, ok, not 2 weeks, 9 days. But I've still got a couple of meals' worth. Sammies, tacos, nachos - I even made breakfast tacos one night with leftover sausage & eggs on tortillas, topped with birria. Mmmm mmmmm mmmm!

How was your goat yakima ?

[yakima]

Goat is excellent. Very tender. If I did not know, would assume it is beef.

Our Mexican friend stopped by. I gave her some birria. She declared it spot on.

[barelfly]

There’s some things you can do to make it quicker. Making adobo in a large batch, as I do with the recipe I posted will make it to where you add adobo to the pot with the meat, add broth, carrots, onions and cook. Plus you have adobo on hand for other cooks, like al pastor

[jjdbike]

I've seen a product on Instagram called "Birria Bombs". They promised flavorful authentic birria quickly and easily. Have any of you seen this? Doesn't sound like a much fun. I am also suspicious of products like this. They tend to be too salty and not very much depth of flavor.

I've been wanting to make birria for a while. My problem is that we have a local Mexican restaurant with authentic Mexican food by and for Mexicans a stones toss down road. It really good and not expensive (a genuine anomaly here in coastal SoCal). It's called "Birria El Padrino".

I'll get around to trying to make it someday soon. I'll use the recipes here on this thread.

Cheers,
JD

[realdocBBQ]

I used a birria rub/mix I got at Costco, I have seen it there several times now. They seem to be keeping it in stock. It worked well for me. This last time I made my own birria spice mix, but in a pinch, that one worked quite well.

[jjdbike]

#DogFaced PonySoldier

Thank bud. I’ll keep that in mind.
JD

[jjdbike]

Apparently I cannot say “birria” properly.

I was going to make my first ever batch and was not sure what cut of beef to use.Hey, let’s go to a real carniceria for ingredients - the kind where the butchered meat is displayed along with carnitas etc. So I did.

Went up to the counter to ask what I should use for birria. It went like this.

me: What should I use for beer-ee-ya?

her: burrito?

me:beer-ya

her: burrito?

me: beerrrrrya

she goes in the back and the owner comes out. I explain what’s up.

oh, birria he says. We use diezmillo, how much do you want? He then cuts 3 lbs off of a huge chunk of meat.

next time I’m getting a chuck roast. Same thing.

I love Birria, and also struggle with rolling my Rs. I am a secondary teacher in SoCal abd a transplant from PA. My Mexican kids laugh at me every time I try to pronounce birria. Oh well, a regular dose of humility is good.
Love this thread!
JD

[Potkettleblack]

So, I haven’t made birria, but we have a lot of places in Chicago that make it, including the famous Birria Zaragoza (we went to the Uptown outlet). Wife is particularly fond of Cafe Tola’s birria, though they’re more famous for cochinita pibil, IIRC.

Any rate, my understanding is that goat (chivo) is more broadly traditional, but beef (res) is okay where goats aren’t plentiful. Whole animal cooking is the norm, but for home use, I’d use a mix of cuts like fzxdoc does. Something muscly, and something with more connective tissue. This is essential to get the right texture. If you can get them, and feel like processing them, beef cheeks would be my go to.

The consommé is a key part of the thing. A fun use for the meat is the quesobirria, a quesadilla filled with the birria.

I’d generally start with Rick Bayless, because he’s generally pretty easy, his recipes generally work out well, and they’re traditional enough.

https://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/red-chile-lamb-or-goat-tacos/

[realdocBBQ]

You inspired me to order some annatto/achiote paste. I gotta expand my horizons a bit.