Birria de res is an amazing Mexican beef dish, said Dan Toombs. It can be eaten as a stew, much like chilli con carne. However, it can also be turned into the famous birria tacos – made by dipping tortillas in the sauce, topping with some of the meat, and cheese, and then folding the tortillas up and frying them in oil. The effort is certainly worth it: birria tacos are some of the best out there.
Season the meat with the salt and set aside. Remove the stems from the chillies and tear them down the centre, removing the seeds. Place the chillies in a saucepan over a medium heat and toast them, turning regularly for about 3 mins, or until fragrant. Be very careful not to burn them, or it will make the stew bitter. Transfer to a bowl and cover with boiling water for about 15 mins.
Returning to the saucepan, add the chopped onion, garlic cloves and tomatoes and roast over a medium-high heat until fragrant and charred slightly on the exterior. This should take about 5 mins. Transfer to a blender to cool a little.
Add the cinnamon, pepper, cumin, marjoram, oregano, vinegar, stock cube and the soaked chillies to the blender. Taste the water that the chillies were soaking in. If it is bitter, discard and add 125ml of fresh water to the blender. If it’s not, use that instead of fresh water. Blend until smooth. You can add more of the soaking water or fresh water if needed to help blend. Set aside.
Pour the oil into your saucepan over a medium-high heat and fry the meat until lightly charred on the exterior. This will take about 10 mins. You don’t want to overcrowd your pan, so do this in batches if necessary.
Pour the blended sauce over the top and add enough water or stock to cover. Bring to a rolling simmer and then reduce the heat, covering the pan and simmering lightly for 4-5 hours, or until the meat is really tender and shreds easily. You can always add more stock or water if necessary.
Once the meat is good and tender, serve it up, topped with your garnishes of choice.
