Birria de Res (Chile-Braised Beef)

Wipe the dried chiles, tear them open and discard the stems and most of the seeds. Toast them in a dry pan over medium heat for 20–30 seconds a side, until fragrant and slightly darkened.

💡 Toast only until fragrant — if the chiles blacken or smoke, they turn bitter and there's no rescuing the broth. A few seconds too long is the most common ruin.

Soak the toasted chiles in hot water for 15 minutes until soft and pliable.

Meanwhile, char the tomatoes, half the onion and the garlic in the dry pan until blackened in spots and softened.

Drain the chiles and blend them with the charred vegetables, cumin, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, vinegar and a cup of the soaking water into a smooth adobo. Push it through a sieve for a silky sauce.

💡 Sieving is worth the extra minute — it catches the tough chile skins and grit that would otherwise leave the consomé slightly rough on the tongue.

Season the beef with salt. In a heavy pot, brown the chunks in a little oil on all sides, then lift them out.

Pour the adobo into the same pot and cook it, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until it darkens and thickens.

Return the beef, add the bay leaves and pour in the stock so the meat is just covered. Bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer very gently for 2.5–3 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and pulls apart easily.

💡 Keep it at a bare simmer, not a rolling boil. Hard boiling toughens the meat and cooks the consomé down too fast; low and slow is what makes birria melt in the mouth.

Lift out the beef and shred it with two forks. Skim some of the bright red fat from the top of the broth if you like.

Taste the consomé and adjust the salt. Return the shredded beef to the pot to keep warm.

Ladle the beef and consomé into bowls and top with diced onion, chopped coriander, a squeeze of lime and a few radish slices.

Serve with warm corn tortillas — or dip the tortillas in the red fat, fill with beef and cheese and griddle them for quesabirria tacos.