Birria de Res

Here I am, back again, and I have hopped off the Asian food bandwagon (temporarily, of course) and Im currently renewing my love affair with Tex-Mex cuisine. I pretty much veer back and forth between these two cuisines, with occasional side forays into other territory. But today I want to tell you about my latest obsession: Birria de Res.

On Youtube, I subscribe to a channel that I just love, Simply Mama. Angelica is a prolific home cook and her recipes are really spot on and run the gamut from Korean (her husband is Korean) to American dishes to, and this is my favorite, her native Tex-Mex. She grew up in Texas and her foods are my foods. And one day, she introduced me to Birria de Res.

Birria is a rich, peppery, intriguingly spiced beef stew which goes in the crockpot and comes out 6 hours later tasting like heaven in a bowl. I like it by itself, with tortillas, or over rice.

Go to Simply Mama and let her talk you through the making of this amazing concoction, or just read on for the recipe.

Birria de Res

3 lbs beef shanks or chuck roast meat (you can also use lamb meat), cubed
1/2 medium onion
6 to 7 cloves garlic
3 guajillo chiles
1 ancho chile
1 pasilla chile
3 cups (24 oz) beef broth (1 cup for chile puree and 2 cups for Crock Pot) **add 2 to 3 more cups of beef broth if you want it soupier**
2 tsp Mexican oregano
1 tbsp fresh thyme ( sub with 1 tsp dried thyme)
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cinnamon (adjust to your preference)
1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground clove (adjust to your preference)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to your taste

In a large frying pan over medium high heat, add some oil and fry the beef cubes until browned. Remove to crockpot and add onions and garlic to the pan; saute until translucent, then add to the crockpot.
In a small saucepan, immerse the dried peppers in boiling water, weight down with a plate to keep them submerged, and allow to soak off the heat until softened, about 10 minutes or so. Drain them, add them to the blender with 1 cup of the beef stock, and puree. Add to crockpot. Add all the seasonings, stir well, cover, and cook for 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.