Slow Cooker Barbacoa
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can make this in a crockpot or other slow cooker. Saute the onions first on high heat, then add the rest of the ingredients and set to low heat for 4-6 hours, until the beef is tender and shreddable.
Stovetop barbacoa
Saute the onions over med-high in a deep stockpot, then add the rest of the ingredients. Cover slightly ajar and turn down to a bare simmer for 4-6 hours, until the beef is tender and shreddable. Keep an eye on the liquid level by checking back every hour or so, adding more beef broth as necessary. Those little tortilla warmers they sell do a really good job warming up your tortilla, but since you have all this pork fat, why not dip the tortillas in pork fat and fry them up over a low flame? The best tacos are saucy and spicy, so pre-sauce your tacos before they land on the table. If you’re feeling lazy, aardvark sauce makes for a pretty darn amazing lazy salsa It’s better to pack more meat into fewer tacos than the other way around. Ignore the photos in this post. A good taco should be fat and happy, and doubled up on the tortilla. Birria Ingredients Beef. For the ultimate birria tacos, use a good beef shank. This is non-negotiable. You can, and should, mix up another cut as well for texture and variety. I prefer meat that’s a little on the lean side for tacos, so I mixed it up with a cheap roast like sirloin, but if Steph had her way, she would use short ribs. But, since she’s not cooking, we ended up with a sirloin.
Dried Guajillo Peppers. These sun dried peppers add an authentic touch of mexican flavor to any stew and you can usually find them in the Mexican aisle of your local grocery store (if you live in America). They are like a mild-medium pepper and don’t add any heat, so you don’t have to worry at all. If you can’t find them, sub any dried mexican/southwestern peppers you can find the page here, such as ancho, new mexico, california, or pasilla. If you really can’t find them, you can skip them, but they’re worth looking for!
Chipotle peppers in adobo. These come in a little can and they are salty-sweet-spicy delicious. They form the base of many mexican stews and marinades and you can find them pretty much everywhere in the world, they’re that good. We usually keep 3-4 cans around just for tacos al pastor. Mexican oregano. This version of oregano is always cheaper and almost always fresher and better than the spice aisle stuff, so if you’re already in the Mexican aisle, be sure to pick up a bag, usually only 99 cents or so.
How to Make Birria Tacos
Once you have the stew, making the tacos is super easy:
Shred your meats. Fry them up too, if you like. I skipped this step and it was ok, but if you like your meat extra crispy and hot, here’s where you would do that. Warm up your tortillas. This makes them pliable and soft. We use a tortilla warmer, but you can just wrap them up in damp paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds. Dip and fill. Dip your tortillas in the soup, the fat is near the surface so you don’t need to dip too far, but make sure they get coverage. Then top half of the tortilla with beef, onions, cilantro (optional), and cheese (optional). Fold and fry. Fry your tacos in a non stick skillet over medium heat until they crisp up, 2-3 minutes per side. Serve with a side of the stew to use as a dip.
