Braised Beef and Cheese Tacos (Quesabirria)
Braised Beef and Cheese Tacos (Quesabirria)
Ingredients
- 1 onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, halved
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 4 dried guajillo chili peppers, seeded (see note)
- 2 dried ancho chili peppers, seeded (see note)
- 4 cups (1 litre) beef broth
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2.2 lb (1 kg) boneless beef blade roast, cut into 4 pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 soft wheat or corn tortillas, each about 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter
- 1 ¾ cups (175 g) mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño chili pepper, seeded and cut into thin rounds, or more to taste
- Cilantro leaves, to taste
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
- In a pot over medium heat, soften the onion and garlic in half of the oil (2 tbsp/30 ml) for 5 minutes. Add the dried chili peppers and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup (250 ml) of the broth. Bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes or until the chili peppers are tender.
- In a blender, purée the chili pepper mixture with the vinegar and spices until smooth.
- In a Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over medium-high heat, brown the meat on all sides in the remaining oil. Pour the remaining broth and the chili pepper purée into the pot over the meat. Add the bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Cover and bake in the oven for 2 hours or until the meat is fork-tender, turning it over halfway through cooking.
- Remove the meat from the pot and place on a plate. Using a fork, shred the meat and remove any excess fat. Remove and compost the bay leaves. Adjust the seasoning of the sauce. Keep the sauce warm so the cooking fat can settle in the pot.
Braised Beef and Cheese Tacos (Quesabirria)