Beef Birria Recipe (Birra de Res)

Cut open the dried chiles with kitchen scissors or a knife and discard the seeds. Heat a large dry skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the chiles, moving them occasionally, for 4 minutes.

Cover the chiles with 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat off and let the chilis soak until softened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower third position. Pat the beef dry with a paper towel and season all over with the salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is smoking, work in batches, adding the beef, and cooking, until browned on all sides, about 15-18 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

Add the onion and cook over medium heat until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and toss until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Add the cinnamon, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, and ginger and cook, stirring until fragrant, 1 minute more.

Add the beef stock and vinegar, using a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Remove the pot from the heat and allow ingredients to cool slightly.

Drain the softened chilis (discarding the soaking water). Add the chilis and the canned tomatoes to the sauce. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth, directly in the pan. (Alternatively, transfer the ingredients to a blender, let cool briefly, blend until nearly smooth, and then return the sauce to the pan.)

Return the beef (along with any collected juices) to the Dutch oven, nestling it into the sauce. Cover with a tight fitting lid, and cook in the oven, until the beef is tender and can be pulled apart easily with a fork, about 2½ hours.

Using 2 forks, shred the beef, discarding any large pieces of fat.

Serve with the remaining sauce/broth in bowls garnished with chopped onion and cilantro. Alternatively top the tortillas with the beef, use as a filling for quesadillas, or try our Birria Tacos.