Birria Tacos

Ingredients

• 2 white or yellow onions (about 2-3 cups)
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled (4 teaspoons)
• 4-5 dried chiles (at least 2 ancho; guajillo and chile de arbol are also good)
• 2-3 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed of big pieces of fat
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 15 ounce can of tomato sauce or diced tomatoes.
• 2 limes – 1 lime for recipe, plus wedges for serving.
• ~5 cups beef stock or broth
• La Banderita Fajita flour tortillas – pack of 20 tortillas
• or La Banderita corn tortillas
• 8 ounces Ole Queso Quesadilla cheese, shredded.
• Fresh cilantro and diced onion for garnish

TOPPINGS

Directions

1. Peel and chop the onions and garlic. Remove and discard the stems from the dried ancho chiles and shake out the seeds. Discard the seeds.  Break chiles into 2-3 pieces each. 
2. Preheat a frying pan or skillet on high heat. Season your chuck roast with salt and black pepper on all sides. Drizzle the vegetable oil in the hot pan and add the beef and sear for 2 minutes on each side to brown evenly. After searing the beef, pour 1 cup of the beef stock in the pan to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker and pour in the liquid from the pan.
3. Add the onions, garlic, dried chiles, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and tomato sauce to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Add juice of 1 lime, and remaining beef stock until it reaches the top of the beef. Set the slow cooker to Low (8 or 10 hours, depending on your schedule).
4. The meat should be very tender when the cooking time is done. Transfer the beef using tongs to a platter or cutting board. Shred the beef using two forks. Set aside in a bowl for later.
5. Remove bay leaves & cinnamon stick from sauce in slow cooker and discard. Using a stick blender, puree until smooth. Alternately, puree in blender. If you prefer a thinner broth, strain out half of the chiles, tomato and onion before pureeing.
6. Add ½ cup of this sauce to the shredded beef and gently stir to mix through.
7. To make the tacos: Have sauce close to the stove.  Heat a large frying pan or skillet on the stove medium-high heat and add a small amount of vegetable oil. Take 1 tortilla and dip it lightly into the sauce, then place it in the hot, oiled pan. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the entire tortilla, and spread shredded beef over one half of the tortilla. Using a spatula, gently fold over the cheese-only side of the tortilla over the beef side. Repeat to make as many tacos as needed. Keep finished tacos in a low over (~250 degrees) while you make the others to keep them warm.
8. Serve tacos with small bowls of the dipping sauce and lime wedges for each person.

Birria beef and sauce is so delicious that leftovers will not go to waste!  If you have more than you need for tacos the first night, the meat and sauce will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge, until the craving strikes again!