Not Birria Beef Tacos

Ah man, this was definitely one of those recipes that were meant to be one thing and turned into another. These are not Birria tacos, let’s just start there, these are however, inspired by said tacos. I had a whole bunch of dried chiles (pasilla, guajillo and chipotle) but unfortunately I didn't have everything I needed for any specific recipe. Then I started researching what these chiles were used for and came up with the idea that I’ll take inspiration from Chili Colorado and the famous Birria taco and make something from that. The meat does take a while to cook (up to 2 1/2 hours) but it’s soo worth it. You can even use the slow cooker, just make the chile sauce beforehand because that’s the most important part of this dish.

Not Birria Beef Tacos

Ingredients:

• Olive oil

• Chuck roast, cubed

• Garlic, finely chopped

• Fresh thyme

• Fresh sage

• 5 dried Guajillo chiles, stems removed and seeded

• 3 dried pasilla chiles, stems removed and seeded

• 2 dried chipotle peppers, stems removed and seeded

• 1/2 sweet onion

• Beef broth

• S + P

• 1-2 bay leaves

• Brown sugar

• Cumin

• Oregano

• Smoked paprika

• Flour/corn tortillas

• Oaxaca cheese

• Limes

• Avocado

• Cilantro

• Red onion, diced

Instructions:

1. In a medium pot, add the chiles and onion to a medium pot. Cover with water or beef stock until chiles and onions are completely submerged and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove from heat, cover and let it sit for 20 minute to soften the peppers.

2. Put the chiles and onions into a large blender. Add in 2 cups of the chile-soaked water, the oregano and cumin. Blend until very smooth—add more of the sauce if the mixture is too thick for your blender. Strain the sauce and discard the leftovers.

3. In a large bowl, add the beef, flour, salt and pepper, toss together to coat. Brown the meat in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat with oil to keep it from sticking. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan. Remove the meat from the pan

4. Add the garlic to the pot and then throw the meat back in as well—stir for a few minutes then add in the chile sauce along with brown sugar, 3 cups of beef broth, smoked paprika, S + P, bay leaves and 1 stick of cinnamon.

5. Stir to combine and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender and can be shredded easily.

6. Uncover, taste and add more S + P. Raise to medium heat and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and slightly thickened. Remove the beef from the pot and shred it as much as you can in a bowl. Pour some of the sauce over it and cover it— leave the rest of the sauce in the pot because you’re going to use it for the tacos.

7. Heat a nonstick pan on medium. Dip one side of the tortilla in the sauce and quickly place it on the pan. Assemble the taco by adding the meat and the oaxaca cheese. Fold it over and fry it until the cheese has melted. Transfer it to a serving dish and repeat the steps with the remainder tortillas.

8. Serve the tacos topped with, avocado, red onion, lime and cilantro.