Pork, beef & lamb

Beef Birria

Name: Beef Birria
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h 25 min
Total time: 3 h 55 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1kg beef shin, fat trimmed, 6cm chunks; 2 (30g) dried ancho chillies, stems and seeds removed; 4 (25g) dried guajillo chillies, stems and seeds removed; 15g (1 tbsp) chipotle paste; 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes; 1 (150g) onion, chopped; 6 cloves (30g) garlic; 4g ground cumin; 2g (2 tsp) dried oregano; 1g (½ tsp) ground cinnamon; pinch ground cloves; 2 leaves bay; 30ml cider vinegar; 1 cube beef stock cube; 600ml water, boiling; 5g salt; 15ml rapeseed oil

Beef shin braised in a deep red sauce of dried ancho and guajillo chillies, chipotle, tomato and warm spices, then shredded into its rich juices.

makes 21 blocks, about 62p each

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Time: 3 hr 55 min30 min prep · 3 hr 25 min cook
Makes: 21 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 62p
Calories per blockCalories: 98 kcal
Spice

Ingredients

Batch size

blocks

1kgbeef shin, fat trimmed, 6cm chunks
2 (30g)dried ancho chillies, stems and seeds removed
4 (25g)dried guajillo chillies, stems and seeds removed
15g (1 tbsp)chipotle paste
1 × 400g tinchopped tomatoes
1 (150g)onion, chopped
6 cloves (30g)garlic
4gground cumin
2g (2 tsp)dried oregano
1g (½ tsp)ground cinnamon
pinchground cloves
2 leavesbay
30mlcider vinegar
1 cubebeef stock cube
600mlwater, boiling
5gsalt
15mlrapeseed oil

Allergens: Sulphites. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Nutrition

estimated

	1 block	3 blocks
Energy	98 kcal	294 kcal
Protein	10.8g	32.4g
Carbs	3.7g	11.1g
Fat	4.6g	13.8g
Fibre	1.3g	3.9g
Salt	0.57g	1.71g

Method

Step 1: Toast the dried chillies in a dry frying pan for 30 seconds a side until they smell fragrant. Cover with 300ml of the boiling water and soak for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Season the beef with the salt. Heat the oil in a casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the beef in two batches. Lift it out. (12 min)
Step 3: Soften the onion in the casserole for 5 minutes, adding the garlic for the last minute.
Step 4: Tip the onion and garlic into a blender with the chillies and their soaking water, the tomatoes, chipotle paste, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cloves and vinegar. Blitz until smooth.
Step 5: Pour the sauce into the casserole with the rest of the water, the stock cube and bay. Return the beef, cover and cook at 150°C fan until it falls apart. (3 hours)
Step 6: Shred the beef in the sauce and skim off most of the fat. The sauce should be loose and juicy; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes if it is thin.
Step 7: Remove the bay, then cool and freeze in 70g blocks.

Hotter: add 2 dried chiles de árbol to the soak.

Serve it

Crisp tortillas filled with the beef and cheese, with a cup of the sauce for dipping · Warm tortillas with chopped onion, coriander and lime · Rice and pinto beans

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	98	10.8g	3.7g	4.6g	1.3g	0.57g
Per 3 blocks	294	32.4g	11.1g	13.8g	3.9g	1.71g

Cook’s notes

Slow cooker: brown the beef and blend the sauce, then cook for 8 hours on Low.
Keep the fat you skim off. Brush it on tortillas before frying them for birria tacos.
Dried ancho and guajillo chillies are sold in large supermarkets and online; they keep for months in a sealed jar.

Serve it

Crisp tortillas filled with the beef and cheese, with a cup of the sauce for dipping · Warm tortillas with chopped onion, coriander and lime · Rice and pinto beans.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 294 kcal and 32.4g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Beef Birria questions

Can I use another cut of beef?

Chuck or brisket work well, and a mix with some short rib is richer. Avoid lean cuts such as topside, which turn dry and stringy over a long braise.

Why toast the dried chillies first?

A brief toast wakes up their fruity, smoky flavour and softens them so they blend smoothly. Watch them closely, as burnt chillies make the sauce bitter.

How do I make birria tacos with it?

Dip corn tortillas in the skimmed fat or sauce, fill with the reheated beef and grated cheese, fold and fry until crisp on both sides. Serve with some warm sauce for dipping.