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Birria: A Traditional Mexican Specialty

Mexican Birria is a traditional dish that is commonly sold by street vendors in mexico. This authentic Mexican dish is a type of stew that is very versatile in the type of meat that can be used in it. With the exception of poultry, birria can be made with veal, beef, pork, lamb or goat. This recipe shows the step by step way to make this delicious dish in your own home. You will need a Dutch oven or a large casserole dish that has a rack that sits inside and a tight fitting lid for this recipe. This dish can take quite a bit of time to prepare and cook before it is ready to eat, however it is most definitely worth the wait. This is a fantastic dish to serve your guests at dinner, and for your own family, for an authentic taste of Mexico that will make your mouth water.

Mexican Birria

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs meat with or without bones

4 guajillo chiles

3 ancho chiles

3 cascabel chiles

1 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground thyme or 2-3 sprigs

6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 cup of water

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped cilantro

Corn tortillas

Making the Chile Paste

Toast the chiles on a hot pan until browned, but not burned. Remove the seeds and veins from the chiles and cover them with hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. Once they have finished soaking in the hot water, process the chiles in a blender with the vinegar in order to make the chile paste.

Preparing the Meat

Make a meat rub by mixing the salt, pepper, cloves, oregano, cumin, cinnamon and thyme. Rub the meat well with this mixture and then coat the meat with half of the chile paste. Let the meat marinate overnight.

Cooking the Meat

Fill a dutch oven or casserole dish with water. Add the chopped onion, bay leaf, garlic and the remaining chile paste into the water. Place the meat on the rack that lays above the water, put the lid on and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 4 hours.

Putting it Together

Once the Birria has finished cooking, remove the meat and place it into serving bowls. Let the liquid cool slightly and remove the bay leaves. If desired put the liquid in a blender. Add enough hot water to the mixture to make atleast 2 cups. Spoon the liquid over the meat and garnish with chopped onion and chilantro. Serve the dish with warm corn tortillas.

This delicious dish is an authentic taste of Mexico in every bite, the tender meat and flavourful broth make this a truly sensational flavour experience. Keep this recipe for whenever you want to spice up your same old meal routine and want to try something different. This is definitely worth the time and effort it takes to make this dish, because the final product is out of this world.

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