Tacos de Birria de Chivo
Slow-braised lamb birria with deep chiles, cumin, and vinegar, shredded tender and served in crispy-edged corn tortillas with a spiced consomé for dipping. Authentic Jalisco street food.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 580
- Protein
- 52g
Ingredients
- 6 whole dried guajillo chiles
- 4 whole dried ancho chiles
- 3 lb lamb shoulder, boneless
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 6 whole garlic cloves
- 6 cups beef stock
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 2 whole bay leaf
- 12 whole corn tortillas
- ½ whole white onion, diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- 1
Toast guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry skillet 30 seconds per side until fragrant.
- 2
Remove stems and seeds from chiles. Soak in hot water 10 minutes until softened.
- 3
Drain chiles and blend with garlic, cumin seeds, oregano, vinegar, and 1 cup water until smooth.
- 4
Pat lamb dry and season generously with salt and black pepper.
- 5
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high until shimmering.
- 6
Sear lamb 3 minutes per side without moving until deeply browned on surface.
- 7
Remove lamb and set aside. Pour chile paste into pot, scraping up browned bits.
- 8
Stir in beef stock, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Return lamb to pot.
- 9
Cover and simmer 2.5 hours until lamb shreds easily with a fork.
- 10
Transfer lamb to a cutting board and shred with two forks.
- 11
Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Skim fat from surface.
- 12
Warm tortillas in a cast iron skillet 20 seconds per side until pliable.
- 13
Dip each tortilla edge in hot consomé, then fill with shredded lamb.
- 14
Crisp filled tortillas in skillet 1 minute per side until edges brown.
- 15
Top with diced onion and cilantro. Serve with consomé for dipping.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch cast iron skillet
- large heavy pot with lid (6-8 quart)
- blender
- fine-mesh sieve
- cutting board
- two forks for shredding
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