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Birria-Style Braised Beef Tacos with Consommé

Birria-Style Braised Beef Tacos with Consommé reads umami 7.3, richness 5.4 and sourness 4.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mexican main, about 3 hr 43 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.3 · Richness 5.4 · Sourness 4.7 · Citrus 4.3 · Heat 4.1 · Smoke 3.9 · Salinity 3.7 · Allium 3.5 · Earthy 2.6 · Sweetness 2.1 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Herbaceous 1.5 · Fruity 1.3 · Bitterness 1.2 · Funk & Ferment 1.2 · Nutty 0.7

What's in it (16)

Time & effort: about 3 hr 43 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 227 kcal, 10.6 g protein, 7.2 g fat, 31.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

  1. Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, pressing flat with tongs, until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 30 seconds per side; transfer to a heatproof bowl, cover with 3 cups just-boiled water, and let soak until softened, 20 minutes.
  2. While the chiles soak, season the beef chunks all over with the kosher salt. Heat the vegetable oil in the same pot over medium-high heat and sear the beef in batches, without crowding, until deeply browned on at least two sides, 3-4 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
  3. Drain the softened chiles, reserving the soaking liquid. In a blender, combine the chiles, 1 cup of the reserved soaking liquid, the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotle in adobo and its sauce, vinegar, oregano, and cumin; blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes.
  4. Pour the chile puree back into the pot set over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until it darkens slightly and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5-6 minutes.
  5. Return the seared beef and any accumulated juices to the pot, then pour in the beef broth so the liquid just covers the meat. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low.
  6. Braise until the beef is fall-apart tender and shreds easily with a fork, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, checking once halfway through to make sure the liquid stays at a bare simmer.
  7. Transfer the beef to a bowl and shred it into bite-size pieces with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat. Skim the excess fat from the surface of the braising liquid, then taste the consommé and season with more salt if needed.
  8. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the warm consommé into a wide shallow bowl. Dip a tortilla in the consommé to coat both sides, then lay it on a hot griddle or large skillet set over medium heat.
  9. Scatter cheese over half the tortilla, top with shredded beef, and fold the tortilla over; cook until the underside is crisp and deep red-brown and the cheese has melted, 2-3 minutes, then flip and crisp the second side, 1-2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, beef, and cheese.
  10. Pile the tacos on a platter with small bowls of the remaining hot consommé for dipping, and finish with the diced onion, cilantro, and lime wedges.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.