Recipes Dinner Tortilla Dishes Tacos Birria Tacos 4.5 (17) 20 Reviews A combination of two meats creates the best balance of tender texture from chuck roast and succulence from short ribs. The beef's slow-cooked flavor comes from the adobo sauce. By Claudette Zepeda Claudette Zepeda Claudette Zepeda is an award-winning Mexican-American chef from San Diego known for her bold culinary style. She was the executive chef and creative force behind the critically acclaimed regional Mexican restaurant, El Jardin. Claudette competed on Top Chef Mexico Season 2 and Top Chef Season 15. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 2, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 35 mins Total Time: 8 hrs 55 mins Yield: 16 tacos Birria is a mainstay of Mexican cuisine, a stew that originated in the state of Jalisco traditionally made from goat, beef, or lamb. For this birria tacos recipe, the meat marinates in adobo sauce, then cooks slowly in adobo broth until it's fork-tender. The shredded meat makes a fantastic taco filling, especially when topped with onion, cilantro, and a squirt of lime. Store-bought tortillas will do, but nothing beats homemade if you have the time (and the tortilla press) to make them. Ingredients 1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast (about 2 1/4-inches thick) 2 pounds English-cut beef short ribs (about 3 ribs) 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste Adobo 8 cups water 1 cup finely chopped white onion, rinsed 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro Canola oil, for greasing 32 (6-inch) fresh corn tortillas or 16 packaged corn tortillas Lime wedges, for serving Directions Cara Cormack Gather the ingredients. Cara Cormack Sprinkle chuck roast and short ribs all over with 2 tablespoons salt. Combine roast, ribs, and adobo in a large nonreactive bowl; toss to coat. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Cara Cormack Preheat oven to 300°F. Transfer adobo mixture to a large (9 1/2-quart) Dutch oven; add 8 cups water. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, over medium, stirring occasionally. Cara Cormack Cover with lid and place in preheated oven. Bake until meat is fork-tender, about 4 hours. Cara Cormack Remove chuck roast and short ribs from braising broth and transfer to a large bowl; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Cara Cormack Return broth in Dutch oven to heat over medium and cook, uncovered, skimming off fat as needed, until reduced to about 8 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Season broth with salt to taste. Cara Cormack Shred meat; discard bones. Cara Cormack Toss meat with 1 1/2 cups of the broth. Cara Cormack Stir together onion, cilantro, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; set aside. Cara Cormack Heat a large nonstick electric griddle to 400°F or a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Using a paper towel dipped in canola oil, lightly grease griddle. If using fresh tortillas, stack two tortillas, and use tongs to dip them together into adobo broth. (If using packaged tortillas, dip one tortilla per taco.) Cara Cormack Place stacked tortillas on griddle; top with 1/4 cup meat. Repeat with as many tortilla stacks as will comfortably fit on griddle. Cook until bottom tortilla is lightly browned and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Cara Cormack Fold tacos in half, gently pressing with a spatula. Transfer to a serving plate. Repeat process with oil, adobo broth, remaining tortillas, and remaining meat. Greg Dupree Serve tacos hot with onion-cilantro mixture, lime wedges, and remaining adobo broth for dipping or sipping. Suggested pairing Lively sparkling rosé. Originally appeared: April 2020 Rate It Print