Birria de res

Name: Birria de res
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 5 guajillo chillies, cleaned, stems removed and deseeded; 3 arbol chillies (optional, for extra heat); 2 plum tomatoes, cut into chunks; 1 onion, cut into chunks; 4 garlic cloves, peeled; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 2 cloves; 3 black peppercorns; 1 tbsp white wine vinegar; 20g sea salt; 2 tbsp sunflower oil; 1kg braising steak or beef shin, cut into 5cm cubes; 3 bone marrow discs or a large bone marrow; 2 bay leaves; Small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped; 1/2 onion, finely chopped; 2 limes, cut into small wedges; Red salsa; Warm corn tortillas

Karla Zazueta shares her family recipes for beef birria, a classic Mexican recipe that can be served many ways

By Karla Zazueta

26 April 2024

Image may contain Food Food Presentation Cutlery Spoon Bread Baby Person Kitchen Utensil Ladle Plate and Meal

Joe Woodhouse

The word birria in colloquial Spanish means ‘bad/ugly’ or ‘something of little value’. This recipe was created for the poor, who cooked birria using the cuts that nobody wanted.

The original birria (goat broth) recipe is from the state of Jalisco, where it’s cooked with a mixture of dried chillies, spices and vegetables. More recently, the birria cooked in Tijuana has become very well known among the Mexican foodies – some say that it has surpassed in flavour the birria from Jalisco. Although the original recipe for birria is made with goat meat, nowadays, beef is widely used as it is easier to source. A delicious broth, cooked for hours, it is just heavenly.

Depending on how much time I have; I make it either in the oven, which takes a bit longer, or over the hob, where I have a better control of the consistency. It’s a perfect dish for a gathering with friends or for a Sunday brunch – or why not eat it like Mexicans do, for breakfast?

Note: to make the birria spicier, add some arbol chillies. Portobello mushrooms make a good vegan option, and take less time to cook.

This recipe is from Norteña: authentic family recipes from the north of Mexico by Karla Zazueta (Pavilion Books).

Next up, why not try more Mexican recipes from the House & Garden archive?

Recipe notes