Quesabirria consists of spicy, shredded beef cooked and loaded with melty cheese and served inside a crispy, pan-seared corn or flour tortillas with either mozzarella or Chihuahua cheese melted with stewed meat. The meat is often beef — commonly brisket, for a dish that comes out like a cross between tacos and quesadillas.
The recipe for this delicious taco starts with beef brisket — (or use short ribs, chuck roast, lamb or chicken) — that has been marinated with red, pureed chili peppers, cumin, onions, garlic, salt and pepper, then cooked for 3-4 hours until tender, after which the succulent, juicy, and spicy meat is shredded and placed inside the corn tortilla, grilled until crispy on both sides and served alongside a beef broth into which you can dunk your taco.
Once you’ve got the meat cooked and shredded, follow this Quesabirria taco recipe.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. beef chuck roast or brisket, cut into 1-inch cubes or shredded
½ lb. mozzarella or Chihuahua cheese (shredded)
1 white onion, roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. oregano
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup finely diced jalapeno (Remove the seeds first)
4 limes (sliced in four segments each)
Salt and pepper to taste
Homemade Guacamole
16 oz. Beef broth (saved from cooked meat; and in a pinch can be combined with store-bought)
Corn or flour tortillas
Servings: ≈ 10 tacos
To make Adobo Sauce you will need:
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 cans (6 oz./can) of tomato paste
1/2 cup chili powder 47g
2 Roma tomatoes chopped, (8 oz. with juices)
1/4 cup cider vinegar (5%)
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. allspice
Instructions:
Get everything ready ahead of time because the cooking process goes swiftly once you’ve started.
Season the beef cubes with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, garlic, crushed cinnamon stick, onion and bay leaves. Add just enough beef broth or water to cover the meat.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours until beef is very tender. Or alternatively place brisket in oven safe glass container at 325F until cooked (approximately 2 ½ to 3 hours). The meat will get nice and tender but cut through to be sure it is thoroughly cooked.
Remove meat from liquid and cut into pieces then shred with two forks. Marinade in leftover birria (beef) broth without heat on stove for at least 1 hour. Remove shredded meat cuts and place on dish covered in paper towels.
The rich broth is served on the side for dunking the tacos. Save in bowl and cover until time to serve.
To make the onion topping: mince the onion and mix it with the chopped cilantro and finely diced jalapeno. Add a pinch of salt. Stir mixture. (Keep some cilantro aside for sprinkling on top of final assembled tacos).
Adobo Sauce is a rich, reddish brown, earthy or smoky flavored sauce with the consistency of a thick BBQ sauce. It is made from the following:.
Mix above Adobo Sauce ingredients in a food blender with hot water and pour into large bowl and cover for later. (Ready-made store-bought Adobo Sauce is also available.)
Assemble the tacos by reheating the beef birria meat (the microwave is fine) and reheat the broth in a small pan on the stove.
Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and brush oil over the surface.
Dunk the tortillas in the birria broth to coat them and place them in the hot pan.
Dip tortillas in the hot beef liquid (that includes chopped cilantro and onion) to soften and fill the tacos with the shredded beef and cheese and fold them over.
Fry them until they’re golden brown on one side, then flip them and fry them on the other side until the cheese melts. Remove and place tacos on large dish for further assembly.
Add Adobo Sauce and squeeze sliced lime over meat in taco.
Top each taco with the diced onion mixture. Add guacamole, with any other desired taco seasonings and sprinkle more cheese on top along with chopped cilantro.
Serve assembled tacos with a side of hot broth for dipping for extra flavor. Don’t skip the dipping sauce!
Don’t forget the margaritas!