Birria de Res Recipe

5 from 2 votes

This Birria de res recipe is a delicious Mexican dish featuring slow-cooked beef in a savory and flavorful broth. It's seasoned with authentic dried chiles, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and more.

Prep Time30

Cook Time3 30

Total Time4

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Keyword: Mexican beef, shredded beef, slow cooked

Servings: servings

Author: Molly Thompson

Equipment

Large pot with a lid (Dutch Oven) (see notes for slow cooker and Instant Pot)

Ingredients

4 lb chuck roast cut into 3 to 4-inch chunks (Note 1)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
10 Guajillo chiles washed, stemmed, and seeded
5 ancho chiles washed, stemmed, and seeded (5 came in a pack)
1-2 arbol chiles washed, stemmed, and seeded (Note 2)
1 medium white onion roughly chopped
3 large Roma tomatoes whole
2 bay leaves
6-8 garlic cloves
½ Mexican cinnamon sticks Ceylon cinnamon (Note 3)
1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorns
3 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano (Note 4)
3 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cloves
5-6 cups beef broth
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 teaspoons kosher salt
Black pepper to taste

Instructions

Wash the peppers then dry them and use a pair of kitchen shears to cut off the stems and slice down the side. Open the peppers and scrape out the seeds.
Add them to a medium saucepan with the onion, Roma tomatoes, bay leaves, garlic, cinnamon stick, and peppercorns. Cover completely with water and bring to a boil. Cover and continue to boil over medium-high heat for 10 minutes.
While it’s boiling, sear the beef. Season each piece of the chuck roast generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear each side of the beef for 2-3 minutes, until they form a crispy crust on the outside. Work in batches, placing the first batch on a plate or cutting board while you finish. Working it batches helps sear the beef rather than steaming it if the pot is overcrowded.
When all of the beef is seared, turn off the heat and place all the beef back in while you finish the sauce.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers and the rest of the ingredients, including the cinnamon stick and bay leaf, to a large high-speed blender. Add ½ cup of the boiling liquid along with the cumin, ground cloves, and 4 cups of beef broth. Save 1-2 cups of the remaining boiling liquid for braising as needed. Blend on high until completely smooth, 1-2 minutes.
Strain the consume into the seared beef using a fine mesh sieve.
Bring the Birria beef to a boil over high heat then turn the heat down to low, cover, and braise for 3 ½ - 4 hours. Check the beef once or twice toward the end of cooking. The beef should remain halfway covered with cooking liquid so add the reserved boiling liquid as needed.
Remove the beef to a rimmed baking sheet or large plate and shred using two forks. Serve warm with cilantro, onion, and a squeeze of lime juice.

Notes

Note 1. Chuck Roast. You could also use a mix of chuck roast and short ribs.

Note 2. Chilis and Spice Level. Guajillo and Ancho chilis are mild peppers. Arbol chilis are pretty spicy (6 times hotter than a jalapeño). 1-2 peppers add a small amount of heat to round out the flavors, yielding a true mild-medium heat. Omit the arbol chilis completely for mild heat or add up to 8 for maximum spice.

Note 3. Mexican Cinnamon. This is also called Ceylon cinnamon. Mexican cinnamon sticks are softer and easier to blend, which is necessary for this recipe. You can use 1 ½ teaspoons of ground Ceylon cinnamon or Cassia cinnamon (common in the US) instead. Do not use Cassia cinnamon sticks or they won’t blend as well.

Note 4. Mexican Oregano. Mexican oregano is brighter with floral and citrus notes. You can get Mexican oregano online or at most local grocery stores. We also tested this with regular oregano and it worked well.

Oven Braise: preheat the oven to 325°F. Follow the instructions to make the broth and sear the beef. Transfer the Dutch oven, with the lid on, to the oven and braise for 3 1/2 - 4 hours.

Slow Cooker: Follow the instructions to make the sauce and sear the beef. Transfer the beef to a large slow cooker and cover with the blended sauce. Slow cook on low for 10 hours.

Instant Pot: Follow the instructions to make the braising sauce. Sear the beef in the Instant Pot in batches then pour the sauce over the beef. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 55 minutes. Natural release (do nothing) for 15 minutes then turn the valve to the venting position to release the remaining pressure.

Nutrition