Beef Birria
Birria is a classic dish from the State of Jalisco, and as a matter of fact, two of the most popular dishes on the blog are also from Jalisco: Pozole and Menudo. Birria is usually made with goat’s meat or even with lamb or a combination of several types of meat. The use of a combination of meats is common in restaurants or local Birria eateries known as “Birrierias”. Beef Birria is more like a homemade version since beef is more accessible everywhere.
This is a partnership with RUMBA MEATS, Recipe and opinions are 100% mine.
I like to make this with a combination of oxtail and beef shank from RUMBA MEATS; the bone-in meat renders a very flavorful Birria broth. You can also use Beef cheek and oxtail (the cheek has a lot of meat). You can make your own combination, too, just make sure you add a cut of meat with some bone in it.
There are so many different recipes for birria, but all of them use a combination of dried peppers and herbs. Some cooks will add beer or Pulque instead of vinegar. Some also add a little piece of ginger. The way this dish is usually served is in a bowl (similar to a soup) and garnished with chopped onion and cilantro or oregano. The meat is also served with tacos.
How to make Beef Birria Recipe
Notes:
- Some cooks also like to add a ¼ of and an inch of ginger root.
- You can also cook this dish in a slow cooker if you do not want to make the oven version.
- You can even make it in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker (cooking times will vary depending on the cooking method).
DIRECTIONS:
- Season the meat with salt and pepper, then place in a large baking dish.
- Clean and devein the peppers. Slightly toast them over a medium heat. Soak peppers in a cup of hot water. Roast the onion and garlic and place in your blender.
- Toast the whole cloves, cumin seeds, and black peppercorns. Place them in your blender along with the roasted tomatoes, herbs, onion, cinnamon and the vinegar.
- Once peppers are soft, drain, add to the blender and puree until you have a smooth sauce. Season the sauce with salt.
- Pour the sauce over the meat, making sure it is covered all over with the salsa. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Bake the meat for about 4 hours.
Birria is usually made with goat’s meat or even with lamb or a combination of several types of meat. Cooking time using the Instant Pot or Pressure cooker. The use of a combination of meats is common in restaurants or local Birria eateries known as “Birrierias”. Beef Birria is more like a homemade version since beef is more accessible everywhere.
- 2 lbs. Beef Oxtail from RUMBA MEATS
- 2 lbs. Beef Cheek*
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 Ancho Peppers
- 6 Guajillo Peppers
- 2 Large roasted tomatoes
- 4 Whole cloves
- ½ Teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ Teaspoon black peppercorns
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ½ Teaspoon Marjoram
- ½ Medium-size white onion sliced
- 1- in of stick of Mexican cinnamon
- ½ Cup white vinegar
- Salt to taste
- 2/3 Cup chopped Cilantro or 1/4 Cup of dried oregano
- 2/3 Cup chopped white onion
- Lime wedges
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Season the meat with salt and pepper, then place in a large baking dish.
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Clean and devein the peppers. Slightly toast them over a medium heat, making sure you do not burn them (burned peppers make the dish taste bitter). Soak peppers in a cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Roast the onion and garlic and place in your blender.
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Toast the whole cloves, cumin seeds, and black peppercorns (this is a quick step that only takes a few seconds). Place them in your blender along with the roasted tomatoes, herbs, onion, cinnamon and the vinegar.
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Once peppers are soft, drain, add to the blender and puree until you have a smooth sauce. Add a few tablespoons of water only if your blender is having a hard time processing it. Season the sauce with salt.
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Pour the sauce over the meat, making sure it is covered all over with the salsa. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours to allow all the meat to absorb the flavors.
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Preheat the oven to 350º F. Bake the meat for about 4 hours or until it is fork tender.
• Some cooks also like to add a ¼ of and an inch of ginger root.
• You can also cook this dish in a slow cooker if you do not want to make the oven version. It will take 6-8 hours in the slow cooker.
• COOKING TIMES: Baking time 4 hours. You can even make it in an Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker. For the Instant Pot, cook for 45 minutes, and add the sauce to the meat. Cook for 5 more minutes in the manual setting. Check meat tenderness, if it is easy to shred then you are set to go. But, if the meat is still a little hard to shred, extend the cooking time to 10-15 minutes more. If using a Slow Cooker, cook for 6 hours in the low setting. The one hour time given above is using the instant pot or pressure cooker.
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You do such a nice job with your photos and instructions….and authentic ingredients. Thank you for sharing!
Hello Diane,
Thank you for your kind words about the photos and recipes.
Happy Cooking!
Extraordinarily hearty and definitely delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Velva
Hello Velva,
Thank you! I hope you try this recipe!
Happy cooking!
Looks delicious Mely. I think I would make this with lamb, since that is my favorite meat. I have seen goat meat sold at my local farmer's market (they even sell crocodile meat there!).
Hello Fran,
Crocodile! That is a new one to me! have fun cooking!
Hola Mely
Looks soooo yummy! Would you recommend other meats with the recipe?
Thank you
A big fan! ��
Hello Lorena,
Yes, you can buy beef ribs, chuck and beef shank.
Happy cooking! Provecho!
I made this in a slow cooker and it came out delicious. Thank you!
Great! The slow cooker or the Instant Pot render the same delicious results.
Thank you for stopping by and letting us know. I'm sure other readers will find it helpful.
Provecho!
Hello could I use on Dutch oven pan in the oven or on the stove??
Hello Fernando,
Most Dutch oven can be used over on the stove or in the oven. That will depend on the type use.
Delicious recipe! This was my first time making Birria, followed the instructions… and came out perfect!
Excited to try more of your amazing simple recipes!
Hello, Ariana,
Thank you for trying the recipe, I hope you check the other recipes on the blog.
Happy cooking and provecho!
this recipe of birria of beef it’s delicious!
Hello Alvaro,
Thank you fro trying the recipe! Provecho!
Making this today as we are celebrating Thanksgiving on Saturday with the family.
My daughter is excited. I will let you know what they think.
Hello Brenda,
I hope they like it! Happy cooking!
Oh my gosh girlfriend , this turned out wonderful ! With the left overs, the next morning we strained the meat and served an egg over easy, on top of the beef, then drizzled some of the sauce over it ..served with warm corn tortillas..it was awesome ..my husband loved it, and then volunteered to do kitchen dishes after breakfast !
That is great Cyndikay!
And having a husband doing the dishes is even better! Happy cooking!
Thank you for stopping by!
Hi I’m kinda pushed for time do I need to allow it to refrigerate for 4 hrs or can I skip that step
Hello Desi,
You can skip it, the flavors will still be there in that stew. Not as strong but still a very rich flavor.
I really want to make this , but where can I find those peppers? My supermarket doesn’t sell them. Please help. C Wight
I know there are now several places in Uk that sell them online.
I live in England.
Hello Chris,
Amazon Uk sells them.
Hi instead of using the oven how long would it take to make over the stove?
Hello Jose,
If you cook it over the stove, it will take between 2 – 3 hours.
How to cook this recipe in an instant pot?
Hello Harneel, Cook the meat first, and then add the salsa to cook for a little longer.
How long does it have to stay in the instant pot though
If you are going to use the exact cut of meat on this recipe, 40 minutes.
Thank you for your reply.
What is the total cook time? Directions say 4 hrs in the oven but in the recipe card it says total time 1 hour?
Also, if I were to do this in the crock pot what cooking setting and time do you recommend?
Hello, Check the notes section, please. If using the oven for 4 hours, if using the instant pot for 1 hour, using a pressure cooker for 1 hour. A slow cooker 6 hours on low setting. Enjoy!
I just have a quick question…why do some people strain the mixture of salsa before adding it to the meat? Is this necessary?? Thank you. Looks delicious and I would love to try making this for my family.
Hello Miriam,
If dried peppers are not well blended, or the blender that is used to make the sauce is not powerful enough, the pepper skins are not pulverized, and that is why some cooks use a strainer to pour the sauce. That also depends on how old are the peppers and the type of peppers. Some had thicker and though skins.