Traditional

Quesabirria

Name: Quesabirria
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 10 tacos
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 lb Beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks; 1 lb Bone-in beef short ribs; 6 Guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded; 3 Ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded; 5 Chiles de árbol; 3 Roma tomatoes; 1/4 cup White vinegar; 6 Garlic cloves; 1 tbsp Mexican oregano; 1 tsp Ground cumin; 3 Whole cloves; 1/2 Cinnamon stick; 2 Bay leaves; 6 cups Beef stock or water; to taste Salt; 8 oz Oaxaca cheese, shredded; 1 White onion, finely diced; 1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped; 2 Limes, cut into wedges; 10 Corn tortillas

Jalisco-style stewed beef folded into cheese-crisped tortillas, served with a rich chile consommé for dipping. Low and slow is the whole game here.

Time: 4 hr
Heat
Yield: 10 tacos
Region: Jalisco

Ingredients

Chile braise

To build

Method

Toast the guajillos, anchos, and chiles de árbol on a dry comal until fragrant, then soak in hot water until pliable.
Blend the soaked chiles with the tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, cloves, and cinnamon into a smooth adobo, adding soaking water as needed.
Season the chuck and short ribs generously with salt, coat them in the adobo, and nestle everything into a heavy pot with the bay leaves and stock.
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Bring to a bare simmer, cover, and braise until the beef shreds at the touch of a fork — skim the red-tinted fat off the top and reserve it.
Shred the beef into the pot, then ladle off the braising liquid into cups — that is your consommé — and top it with onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
Dip each tortilla in the reserved chile fat, lay it on a hot skillet, pile on cheese and beef, fold, and crisp both sides until the cheese laces at the edges.
Serve the quesabirria hot with the consommé alongside for dipping.