Braising meat with chiles, spices and broth creates a decadent consommé and luxurious tender protein that when stuffed inside a corn tortilla and finished in a frying pan leaves you with a delicious textural dish -- birria.
Executive Chef Edgar Escalante shared his recipe for birria tacos, a staple item at his restaurant Dirty Habit in Washington, D.C., with "Good Morning America."
The Mexico City-born and raised chef first developed a love of food at home from his grandmother's cooking. He honed his skills professionally at Michelin-starred Roca Moo in Barcelona, Spain, before launching a catering business back in Mexico City and ultimately growing his global, melting pot culinary perspective.
Check out his full recipe below to recreate the dish at home.
Serving Size: 10 people
Ingredients
1 white onion
12 garlic cloves
12 guajillo chiles
12 pasilla chiles
6 arbol chiles
8 ancho chiles
12 cinnamon sticks
6 star anise pods 2 tablespoons coriander
2 tablespoons cardamom
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons oregano
2 tablespoons black pepper
Salt, to taste
3 pears, sliced
10 bay leaves
4 quarts beef broth
10 pounds short rib
5 pounds beef cheeks
Cilantro Crema
1 bunch cilantro
1 white onion
2 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno
2 cups crema fresca
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Clean all the chiles and remove the seeds and the veins. Toast them in a pan until they are shiny.
In a pot, add the onion, pears and garlic to sauté. Add in all the spices and the chiles. Mix and then add the beef broth and let simmer for 30 minutes. Once it starts bubbling remove from the heat and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
While stew is simmering, clean the meat and remove any cartilage or fat. Season both sides with a good amount of salt and pepper. Next transfer to a pan on high heat with a bit of vegetable oil and pan fry the short rib and beef cheeks until golden brown.
Set the oven to 350 F. Cover the short rib and beef cheeks with the birria stew and braise for 3 hours until tender.
Once ready, remove the meat from the broth and strain. Save the fat.
Take 3 tortillas and brush them with the fat you reserved from the broth. Fry them in a pan for 1 minute, then put the meat in the tortillas while still in the pan and close. Cook for 3 minutes until they a little crispy.
Add to tacos plate and drizzle with cilantro crema and queso fresco. And a little of the birria broth on the side to dip the tacos in.
For the cilantro crema: Cut onion in small dices. Clean the jalapeno and remove the seeds and leave the veins.
Sauté the cilantro, garlic and jalapeno for 3 minutes, then mix in the crema and cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
Blend all the ingredients until smooth and set aside.