Braised Birria Tacos

Shortcut Carmelita's-Style Birria Tacos

Makes about 12 tacos

Beef & consommé

• 2½–3 lb beef short ribs, preferably bone-in

• 1 tbsp kosher salt

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped

• 4 cloves garlic

• 2 cups red enchilada sauce — mild or medium

• 2–3 chipotle chiles in adobo + 1 tbsp adobo sauce

• 2 cups beef broth

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1½ tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp black pepper

For the tacos

• 12 small corn tortillas

• 2–3 cups shredded Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, or Chihuahua cheese

• ½ white onion, very finely diced

• Fresh cilantro

• Lime wedges

• Vegetable oil or beef fat for frying

1. Braise the short ribs

Season the short ribs generously with salt.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the short ribs very well on all sides. Don't skip this—it gives you a much deeper flavor than simply putting everything in the pot.

Remove the beef.

Add the onion and cook for about 4–5 minutes until softened and lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

Add:

• enchilada sauce

• chipotles

• adobo

• beef broth

• vinegar

• cumin

• oregano

• smoked paprika

• cinnamon

• black pepper

• bay leaf

• bouillon

Stir everything together and return the short ribs to the pot.

The liquid should come about ½–⅔ of the way up the beef.

Cover and cook at 325°F for about 3 hours, or until the beef is falling off the bone.

2. Make the consommé

Remove the short ribs and let them cool enough to handle.

Important: Don't discard the braising liquid.

Remove the bay leaf and blend the liquid with an immersion blender until smooth.

Taste it.

You want it to be:

rich + beefy + slightly smoky + slightly spicy + a little acidic.

If it's too thick, add a little beef broth.

If it tastes flat, add another splash of vinegar and a pinch of salt.

If you want it darker/richer, stir in another spoonful of adobo.

3. Shred the beef

Pull the meat from the bones and shred it fairly finely.

I would actually chop the shredded beef a little with a knife afterward. You want small, juicy pieces, rather than huge strands of short rib.

Mix a little of the consommé back into the beef.

Don't drown it—the beef should be juicy but not soupy.

4. The taco frying is the important part

This is where I'd really try to replicate the Carmelita's experience.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.

Skim some of the red/orange fat from the top of the consommé and put it into the skillet. If you don't have enough, add a little vegetable oil.

Take a corn tortilla and quickly dip one side into the consommé.

Put the tortilla dipped-side-down into the hot skillet.

Immediately add:

1. shredded birria

2. cheese

3. a little diced onion

Fold the tortilla over.

Cook for about 1½–2 minutes per side, pressing gently with your spatula, until the tortilla is crisp and browned and the cheese is completely melted.

Repeat.

Don't overfill them. A relatively thin layer of meat + plenty of melted cheese will give you that crispy, cheesy taco rather than a giant stuffed taco.

5. Serve with consommé

Pour hot consommé into small bowls.

Top with:

• finely diced white onion

• cilantro

Serve the tacos with:

• lime wedges

• consommé for dipping

I'd keep the garnish pretty simple. Carmelita's description specifically calls out the fresh onion and rich consommé, so those are important to the overall experience.