Rosa’s Birria Recipe

Prep: 20 mins

Cook:  ~3 hours

Servings: 16

Birria is a traditional Mexican stew made traditionally made with goat or beef. In this recipe, we will be making beef Birria or Birria de rez. Birria originates from the state of Jalisco in Mexico. It is often utilized as a celebratory food on special occasions. Its origins can be traced back to 1519, when conquistadors introduced goats to Mexico. Legend goes that it was accidentally invented when a shepherd had to abandon his goats in a cave during a volcanic eruption, and the steam from the eruption cooked them perfectly. The goat meat was looked down upon by the Spanish as it has a strong odor and was very tough, but the Indigenous Mexicans embraced it (Herrera-Sobek, 2012). Birria translates to “worthless” in Spanish, as that is what the Spanish called it. Birria represents a colonized culture’s adaptation to the changes they were facing and an effort towards resilience.

In 2020, Birria became incredibly trendy on TikTok and Instagram, sparking a huge rise in popularity for a dish that had been little known previously to the general public and people outside of Latin American culture. A food that emerged out of colonization, and was once called worthless, became a beloved food and brought a new energy to the Mexican culinary world. It is easy to be concerned over the implications of cultural food becoming a social media trend, as sometimes the popularization of traditional foods can make those foods inaccessible for the communities that created them. Complicated and altered versions of traditional Birria have arised, but from what I have seen, people have formed a love for the authentic version and it has prevailed through it’s rise in popularity, which is made with ingredients accessible to the communities it comes from. I also think that this rise in popularity has brought increased visibility and cultural appreciation to an important Mexican food and created a space for innovation and fusion. It has also had a positive economic impact for businesses specializing in Mexican cuisine, and it has helped to preserve tradition. Data on Birria “reported last November that Birria’s appearance on menus had grown by 144% in the past four years. Its popularity shows no sign of slowing down, nor has the popularity of its cousin, quesabirria, which is the stewed meat with cheese in a tortilla” (Thorn, 2023). Beyond simply enjoying this delicious dish, however, exploring the history and cultural significance of Birria is how we can best honor it.

My personal introduction to Birria came through this rise in popularity from social media, and once I tried it, it quickly became my favorite food. My love for Birria became a well known fact of who I was, and in the summer of 2023, my friend’s mom, Rosa, taught me how to make it. This recipe is my attempt at bringing her cooking to life, as an homage to her delicious Birria and to allow others to experience it as well. It is adapted from the notes I took on my iPhone notes app as I watched her cook. Overall, I see Birria as a symbol of resilience, from its origins as an adaptation to colonialism, and now as a representation of Mexican culture that has become beloved in America, allowing many Mexican restaurants to thrive and for Mexican food and culture to have increased appreciation from Americans of other cultures. 

Ingredients 

• Spices
  • 6 Bay leaves 
  • 1 tsp whole Black Peppercorns
  • 4 tsp Ginger 
  • 2 tsp Cumin 
  • 1 tsp Cloves 
  • 2 Cinnamon sticks 
  • 8 tsp Oregano 
  • 6 tbsp Sesame 
• Meat
  • 10 lbs of any combination of:
    • Thinly-sliced beefsteak (bistec)
    • Bone-in beef shank
    • Bone-in beef rib 
• Peppers
  • 20 Guallilo Peppers
  • 10 California Peppers
  • 6 Chili de Arbol
• 1 head of garlic or about 10 cloves of garlic
• 4 Roma tomatoes
• 1 Red onion
• Beef Bouillon 
• Vinegar or Pickled Serrano Pepper brine

Instructions

1. Start with preparing your dry chiles. Take out the seeds or else they will be too spicy. People often do this step with gloves as to avoid accidentally getting capsaicin on their face. Capsaicin is the compound that is responsible for the pungency of capsicums, or spicy peppers. It causes a burning sensation on any tissue it comes in to contact with and can be really bad for your skin, eyes, and lungs. When you are done de-seeding your peppers, wash them, because they have dust on them. 

2. Next, boil your peppers in water for 10 minutes. A note from Rosa, do this step carefully, because If the chilis get cooked too much they’ll get really bitter, so some people just soak them in water. 

3. While your peppers are boiling, prep your onion, garlic and tomatoes. It is traditional to use white onion, but Rosa prefers red onion. Roughly chop up your tomatoes and onion. Keep the garlic unpeeled but separated by clove.

4. Next, grill  the garlic and onion in a pan. 

Then also grill tomatoes in a separate pan. 

5. Next, toast all your spices in a pan. Rosa did not measure out her spices specifically. She cooks based on preference and what flavors she feels like she wants. Do this if you are comfortable. If you would like some guidelines, I estimated spice quantities in the ingredient list. Rosa told me, even when you are just making chicken in the oven you should toast your spices because that’s what gives them strong flavors. 

At this point in my notes while watching Rosa cook I wrote “EVERYTHING SMELLS SO GOOD.” 

While everything is still boiling/roasting/toasting, it’s time to start prepping your meat! Rosa says use meat with bone-in because it has better flavor. Rosa says one of the types of meat she uses is called Milanese, which she described as a thin bistec meat with an edge of fat. She wasn’t sure exactly how to describe it in english but based on my research it is a thinly-sliced beefsteak. She tells me, the thing in the middle is what gives all the flavor. I am not sure exactly what she is referring to but upon some minimal research I think it might be the bone marrow, as that is at the center of the bone and it is said to add a rich, creamy, nutty flavor to the meat.

6. Rinse the meat with water, and add vinegar. Swish the meat around with the water/vinegar mixture. This removes the bad smells of the meat. 

7. Next, collect all the grilled veggies into a blender, peel the garlic and add them to the blender. Don’t add the peppers yet! 

A note from Rosa: Add a little water but not a lot, just enough to help it blend. A lot of people make it as if they’re gonna make a soup but the flavor changes if you do it like that 

8. Next pour the blended mixture onto the meat through a strainer!! 

Now it is time to add the chilis to the blender and add the chili water as needed. At this point Rosa tells me, the chilis are what add the most flavor and color. 

9. Blend the spices with the peppers and then strain and then add it to the meat as well. 

The order of the pepper/spices and vegetables doesn’t matter, but Rosa does it separately so the blender has an easier time. 

10. Now that everything is on the meat, at it to a pot. At this point, she does not add anymore water. She just uses all the juices from the blender and the meat juice. 

Rosa adds a scoop Beef buillion and the liquid from Pickled Serrano Peppers. It is common to add vinegar but Rosa says this is a yummier substitute for vinegar. Vinegar is also great if that is more accessible!

11. Once everything is combined in the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for at least 2 hours. Throughout the 2 hours, stir it and check the tenderness of the meat.

After it has cooked for 2 hours, it is ready to eat! What is left can be left covered in the fridge overnight. The next morning the meat should be tender and flavorful and even tastier than the night before! You can put it back on the stove at a simmer to reheat it.

Rosa’s Quesabirria Tacos

Quesabirria tacos are a classic way to consume Birria meat. Quesabirria translates to cheese Birria, as it is when Birria is paired with cheese. As a taco is my personal favorite way to consume Birria, but Birria is also often consumed on its own as a stew, as a meat in burritos or other dishes. Recently there has also been a delicious fusion trend of Birria ramen. 

Ingredients 

• Birria
• Onion (White or red)
• Cilantro
• Consome (Birria broth)
• Corn tortillas  
• Mozzarella cheese

Cooking Instructions

1. Start by prepping your Birria toppings, the onion and cilantro. 

2. Next, submerge your tortillas in the consome (broth) from your Birria. You can use any street sized tortilla you like, but Rosa uses corn tortillas, the best type of tortilla to use for this dish if authenticity is your goal. 

3. Next, place it on a pan with the heat on. Let some of the liquid drip off before placing it in the pan as it will break if it too soggy. Dipping the tortilla in the consome allows for it to be infused with the delicious flavor of the Birria broth, for it to fry really nicely and become crispy in the pan, and it will become a lovely orange color. 

4. As it starts to heat up but not become crispy yet, add in the cheese. Spread the cheese evenly around the tortilla, but don’t add too much. Rosa uses mozarella cheese as it is what she enjoys most, but Oaxacan cheese (quesillo) is the traditional cheese used for this dish. 

5. After adding the cheese, add your Birria, but be careful not to add too much liquid as it will become soggy and break easily. 

6. After doing this, you can add in the onion and cilantro if you want to. Rosa says it’s up to personal preference. If you want the toppings to be cooked into the taco and not have to open up the taco when they’re done, do it now. 

If you prefer to have the toppings be more of a cold crisp element to the taco, my preference, and you don’t mind opening up the tortilla when you are ready to eat, add them in later!

7. When you are done topping you tortilla, simply fold it into a taco and let it is evenly crispy on all sides, and the cheese has fully melted. After this, you are ready to eat!

Dip them in the consome as you eat to get some extra flavor and juiciness! 

Works Cited

Herrera-Sobek, María. “Celebrating latino folklore: An encyclopedia of cultural traditions.” Choice Reviews Online, vol. 50, no. 04, 1 Dec. 2012, https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.50-1830. 

Thorn, Bret. “Birria, the Mexican Stewed Meat, Is the Hottest Trend in Tacos.” Nation’s Restaurant News, 19 Apr. 2023, www.nrn.com/food-trends/Birria-mexican-stewed-meat-hottest-trend-tacos. Accessed 21 Apr. 2024.