Cheat's beef birria tacos recipe
Quite possibly the best thing you can do with a bowlful of leftover barbecued beef. This recipe calls for leftover roast rib of beef for this but you could use any beef you like here really, from seared steak to low and slow brisket and everything in between. The important thing is to slice it across the grain for maximum tenderness.
It's called ‘cheat’s’ because a true Mexican birria is made by long, slow braising of beef, but leftover barbecue that has been touched by smoke and fire is a justifiable cheat. If you want to cheat it further, grab a pack of ready-made tortillas and use those, but making tortillas from masa dough is fun and they taste great.
This recipe makes around eight tacos.
Ingredients
- 300 g masa harina
- 1 tsp (heaped) flaked sea salt
- 400 ml hand-hot water (half cold, half boiling)
- 10.6 oz masa harina
- 1 tsp (heaped) flaked sea salt
- 14.1 fl oz hand-hot water (half cold, half boiling)
- 10.6 oz masa harina
- 1 tsp (heaped) flaked sea salt
- 1.7 cups hand-hot water (half cold, half boiling)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 35 g achiote paste, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 –2 tsp smoked poblano chilli flakes (or chipotle flakes, which are easier to find)
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 500 g cooked beef, sliced across the grain into 1cm (½in) strips
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 1 pinch each of flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1.2 oz achiote paste, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 –2 tsp smoked poblano chilli flakes (or chipotle flakes, which are easier to find)
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 17.6 oz cooked beef, sliced across the grain into 1cm (½in) strips
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 1 pinch each of flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1.2 oz achiote paste, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 –2 tsp smoked poblano chilli flakes (or chipotle flakes, which are easier to find)
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 17.6 oz cooked beef, sliced across the grain into 1cm (½in) strips
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 1 pinch each of flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Details
- Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
- Recipe Type: Beef
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 20 mins
- Cooking Time: 100 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Make the masa dough several hours before you want to eat. It rolls better if it’s had a good rest at room temperature. Measure the masa harina into a bowl and stir through the salt.
- Pour in the water – using hand-hot water makes the dough more pliable – and stir until completely combined.
- Tip onto a clean worktop and knead for a few minutes before wrapping in baking paper and setting aside at room temperature to rest.
- For the birria, pour the olive oil into a deep frying pan (skillet) and set over a low heat. Add the onion, chopped achiote, cumin seeds and chilli flakes and gently fry until the onions are really soft, around 30 minutes, stirring every now and them.
- Add the garlic and stir briefly before adding the beef strips, orange zest and juice. Pour in a little water to just barely cover the beef and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
- Simmer gently for 45-50 minutes, or until the beef is really tender.
- Remove the lid and turn the heat up a little and continue to cook, uncovered, for another 15-20 minutes until the sauce has really reduced down and thickly coats the meat. The oil should begin to separate on the surface.
- While the meat is simmering, mix together the onions, sugar and salt with your fingers in a small bowl, massaging the onions a little to soften them. Stir through the lime juice and set aside to lightly pickle.
- Once the beef is ready, turn off the heat and start to cook the tacos. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll into balls. Dust your work surface lightly with flour and use a rolling pin to roll each ball of dough out into a circle with a diameter of approximately 16 cm (6 ¼ in).
- Heat a chapa or large frying pan over a high heat, until really hot. Cook the tacos one at a time, for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Cover with a tea towel to keep warm while you cook the remaining dough.
- To serve, fill the tacos with the birria and the pickled onions. Add a scattering of grated cheese, if you like.
This recipe is adapted from Seared by Genevieve Taylor (Quadrille, £20). Photography ©Jason Ingram.
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