Quesa Birria Tacos

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recipe by Kenwood https://kenwoodworld.com/

  • Time icon
    Total Time
    11hrs 40mins
  • Serves icon
    Serves
    8
  • Calories icon
    Calories
    623

Originating in Western Mexico, these rich, cheesy tacos have made their delicious presence known across the world. Birria is a stew that was originally made with lamb, but beef is more common now as it’s cheaper and easier to find, and can be served in a variety of ways: as a stew, topped with coriander and diced onion; piled into warm tortillas in traditional taco style; or as a quesa birria taco, where the tortilla is dipped into the broth, packed with the shredded meat and plenty of cheese, and fried until crisp. Always served with broth alongside for dipping, these tacos are will not disappoint.

recipe updated 31 Jul. 2023

Ingredients

  • Beef short ribs icon
    Beef short ribs
    1.6 kg
  • Guajillo chiles icon
    Guajillo chiles
    2
  • Ancho chili pepper icon
    Ancho chili pepper
    2
  • Chipotle chili icon
    Chipotle chili
    1
  • Onion icon
    Onion
    150 g
  • Tomato icon
    Tomato
    280 g
  • Garlic clove icon
    Garlic clove
    4
  • Mozzarella cheese icon
    Mozzarella cheese
    400 g
  • Onion icon
    Onion
    150 g
  • Coriander icon
    Coriander
    20 g
  • Sea salt icon
    Sea salt
    1 ½ teaspoons
  • Black pepper icon
    Black pepper
    1 teaspoon
  • Water icon
    Water
    1.45 kg
  • Vegetable oil icon
    Vegetable oil
    1 tablespoon
  • Cloves icon
    Cloves
    1
  • Black peppercorns icon
    Black peppercorns
    4
  • Bay leaves icon
    Bay leaves
    1
  • Mexican oregano icon
    Mexican oregano
    1 teaspoon
  • Marjoram icon
    Marjoram
    1 teaspoon
  • Dried thyme icon
    Dried thyme
    1 teaspoon
  • Ground cinnamon icon
    Ground cinnamon
    ½ teaspoon
  • Ground cumin icon
    Ground cumin
    1 teaspoon
  • Ground ginger icon
    Ground ginger
    1 teaspoon
  • Red wine vinegar icon
    Red wine vinegar
    2 tablespoons
  • Corn tortilla icon
    Corn tortilla
    16

Tools

  • kCook icon Stove
  • kCook icon Plastic wrap
  • kCook icon Cooking Chef XL
  • kCook icon Bowl - large
  • kCook icon Frying pan
  • kCook icon Medium bowl
  • kCook icon Food processor attachment
  • kCook icon Medium bowl
  • kCook icon Cooking chef xl bowl
  • kCook icon Cutting board
  • kCook icon Frying pan - large
  • kCook icon Serving plate

Step preview

  1. Add beef short ribs to a clean bowl
  2. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper then set aside
  3. Heat a clean frying pan - medium-high heat
  4. Add guajillo chiles, ancho chili pepper and chipotle chili to the frying pan
  5. Cook while stirring occasionally - 2 min
  6. Transfer content of frying pan to medium bowl
  7. Add water to the medium bowl
  8. Cover with plastic wrap then set aside
  9. Add vegetable oil to the frying pan
  10. Heat until hot - medium-high heat
  11. Add onion and tomato to the frying pan
  12. Cook until browned - 5 min, medium-high heat
  13. Add garlic clove, cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaves, mexican oregano, marjoram and dried thyme to the frying pan
  14. Cook while stirring occasionally - 3 min, medium heat
  15. Assemble the Food Processor attachment to the machine
  16. Fit the knife blade to the Food Processor bowl
  17. Transfer content of medium bowl to Food processor attachment
  18. Transfer content of frying pan to Food processor attachment
  19. Add ground cinnamon, ground cumin, ground ginger, red wine vinegar and sea salt to the Food processor attachment
  20. Add water to the frying pan
  21. Use a spoon to scrape up any blackened bits or leftover herbs
  22. Transfer content of frying pan to Food processor attachment
  23. Attach the lid and ensure it is locked into place
  24. Blend until smooth
  25. Remove the attachment from the machine
  26. Strain content of Food processor attachment into medium bowl through a sieve
  27. Transfer marinade to beef
  28. Mix until coated
  29. Refrigerate overnight in fridge - 8 hr
  30. Remove the meat from the fridge 1 hour before cooking
  31. Transfer beef to Cooking Chef XL Bowl
  32. Add water to the Cooking Chef XL Bowl
  33. Cook with splashguard fitted until simmering - 10 min, 120°C, Speed OFF
  34. Cook with splashguard fitted - 30 min, 100°C, Speed OFF
  35. Cook with splashguard fitted until tender - 2 hr 30 min, 98°C, Speed OFF
  36. Transfer meat to cutting board
  37. Cut the meat into small pieces and set aside
  38. Heat a clean frying pan - medium heat
  39. Working in batches, dip the tortillas into the broth in the Cooking Chef bowl
  40. Transfer corn tortilla to the frying pan
  41. Transfer some of the meat to tortillas
  42. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese
  43. Fold the tortillas in half and press down with a spatula
  44. Cook each side until crispy - 2 min
  45. Repeat the same with the remaining tortillas, meat and cheese
  46. Transfer tortillas to serving plate
  47. Top with onion and coriander
  48. Serve
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