Birria Enchiladas
Warm, comforting, spicy, and cheesy.... one of Mexico’s most celebrated dishes becomes craveable birria enchiladas.
Equipment
- High-Powered Blender optional, to create a smooth sauce
Ingredients
For the meat and consommé:
- 4-5 pounds (about 2 kilos) chuck roast cut into large chunks
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 12 whole guajillo chiles stemmed, seeded, and rinsed
- 5 whole ancho chiles stemmed, seeded, and rinsed
- 5 whole chiles de árbol stemmed, seeded, and rinsed
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 Mexican cinnamon stick
- 3 dried bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 cups (475mL) beef stock or vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar (if you are using pickled onions, you can use the pickling liquid in place of the white vinegar)
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 7 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
For the sauce:
- 3 tablespoons to ¼ cup white sugar
- 4-6 tablespons apple cider vinegar
- 3-5 small corn tortillas
- Braising liquid, as directed
For the enchiladas:
- 16 flour or corn tortillas
- 2 cups (400g) cooked white rice
- 3 cups (12 ounces/500g) Oaxaca or Chihuahua cheese
- Optional for garnish: Cilantro, Cotija cheese, lime wedges, pickled or raw onion
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
- Generously season the meat with salt and pepper on all sides, and heat the olive oil in heavy pot over medium-high heat (or use a slow-cooker on the sear setting, if you have one).
- Working in batches, add the meat and sear on all sides until browned. Transfer the browned meat to a platter, and remove your pot from the heat.
Step 2
- While the meat is searing, add the chiles, tomatoes, onion, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and peppercorns to a medium pot.
- Cover completely with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
Step 3
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles and all the other ingredients to a large blender.
- Add 1 cup of the chile-soaked cooking water, the beef broth, white vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, and coriander. Blend on high for a few minutes until completely smooth. (You may need to do this in batches if your blender isn’t big enough.)
- Strain the blended sauce through a fine mesh strainer into the pot with the seared meat. Discard any solids left behind (even using my Vitamix, I was surprised at how many solids I removed).
Step 4
- Add the meat and sauce to a heavy pot or your slow-cooker. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 3 to 4 hours until the meat is fall-apart tender.
- You may also use your slow-cooker on the low setting; it will take closer to 5-6 hours.
Step 5
- Transfer the meat to a platter, and shred it using two forks.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Add a cup of the consommé to a blender with 2 corn tortillas. Blend until smooth, and check the consistency, continuing to add corn tortillas until you are satisfied with the consistency (it should coat the back of a spoon) and return to the pot with the rest of the consommé. Gradually add the apple cider vinegar and white sugar, tasting as you go, until the sauce has lost its bitter flavor.
Step 6
- Spoon some consommé into the bottom of a large pan to create a thin layer. Fill a tortilla with a spoonful of rice, cheese, and shredded birria meat, roll, and place into the pan. Continue adding enchiladas side by side in the pan (they can be snug). If needed, you can use a second pan.
Step 7
- Cover enchiladas with consommé sauce and top with Oaxaca or Chihuahua cheese. Bake, covered, for 30 mins, then uncover and bake for 10 mins or until the cheese is bubbling.
Step 8
- Top with Cotija cheese, if desired, and serve hot with your desired garnishes.
