What Is Birria Meat?
Mexican birria, aka birria de res, is a traditional Mexican stew hailing from the Mexican state of Jalisco. Traditionally made with goat meat, this meat stew relies on a flavorful braising liquid to permeate the meat, creating a fork-tender texture. It wasn’t until the 1950s that birria was made with beef instead of goat meat. The tender meat eventually made its way over to the United States in Los Angeles in the form of birria tacos.
Unlike Instant Pot birria, which uses high pressure to cook the birria meat, this recipe relies on a slow cooking method with the crock pot, allowing the flavors to meld together for 6-8 hours. The low and slow cooking allows the tough connective tissues to break down, resulting in tender meat loaded with flavor.
The best part about making this recipe is that you can use the meat for tons of other beef recipes like beef birria garnachas, birria quesadillas, quesabirria tacos, birria burritos, nachos, and even birria ramen.
Ingredients
For the slow cooker birria meat
- ▢ 3 – 4 lbs Chuck roast
- ▢ 1 tsp salt
- ▢ 1 Onion
- ▢ 2-3 Chipotle chiles in a can with adobo sauce
- ▢ 2 tbsp adobo sauce
- ▢ 1 cup Beef broth
- ▢ 4 cloves garlic Garlic
- ▢ 2 bay leaves
- ▢ 1 tsp Oregano
- ▢ 1 tsp Cumin
- ▢ 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
For the slow cooker birria tacos:
- ▢ Tortillas
- ▢ Onion minced
- ▢ Cilantro
- ▢ Jalapeño stemmed seeded and sliced
- ▢ Lime wedges
Instructions
To make the shredded beef birria:
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Remove the chuck roast from the package and pat dry.
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Season it with salt and let it rest at room temperature.
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Meanwhile, if your slow cooker has a sear setting, preheat it to high. Otherwise, preheat a skillet to medium-high heat.
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When the slow cooker or skillet has preheated, add the chuck roast and sear on all sides until brown, 7 to 10 minutes.
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Remove from heat and set aside.
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Add the chopped onion, chipotle chiles, beef broth, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, and ancho chili powder to the slow cooker.
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Give everything a quick stir to combine.
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Nestle the chuck roast into the slow cooker over the veggies.
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Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hoours, or until the chuck roast reaches and internal temperature of 210 degrees F and shreds easily with two forks.
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Transfer the chuck roast to a large bowl and shred the meat.
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Reserve the cooking liquid allowing it to cool. Skim the fat from the surface and discard.
To make the tacos:
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When ready to make the tacos, reheat the cooking liquid and the shredded beef.
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Preheat a skillet over medium high heat.
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Quickly dip the tortillas into the cooking liquid.
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Add the tortillas to the skillet and cover half in cheese.
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Pile the shredded birria on top of the cheese and fold the tortilla over.
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Allow the tortilla to brown and the cheese to melt before flipping and browning the other side.
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Repeat as needed for as many tacos as you want to serve.
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Serve the tacos with minced onion and cilantro as well as sliced jalapenos, if desired, and lime wedges.
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Place the leftover cooking liquid in a small bowl for dunking the tacos into.