Go Back
Print Recipe

Birria Quesataco con Consomé

Make your own instagrammable birria tacos with ease in the Instant Pot. And yes, these live up to the hype.
Prep Time40 mins
Cook Time1 hr 30 mins
Marinade Time4 hrs
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: beef, birria, cheek, cheese, chili, chuck, dipping, instagram, peppers, tacos, tortillas
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • Mesh strainer
  • Medium-large pan

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chuck roast*
  • 3 lbs. Beef Cheek*
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 Ancho Peppers deseeded
  • 6 Guajillo Pepper deseeded
  • 2 Large tomatoes sliced in half
  • 4 Whole cloves
  • ½ Teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ Teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 6 Garlic Cloves
  • 1 Teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 Teaspoon white sesame seeds
  • 1 inch peeled ginger optional
  • 1/2 cilantro stems optional
  • ½ Teaspoon Marjoram optional
  • 1-2 Serrano chili peppers optional
  • 1 Medium white onion sliced
  • 1 inch Mexican cinnamon stick
  • ½ Cup white vinegar
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 cups beef bone broth

TACO INGREDIENTS:

  • Corn tortillas
  • Oaxaca cheese or mozzarella if you can’t find Oaxaca
  • 1 bunch cilantro chopped
  • 1/2 medium white onion small diced
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

MAKE THE BIRRIA AND MEAT:

  • Season the meat with salt and pepper, then place in a large baking dish.
  • Clean and devein the dried peppers. Slightly toast them over a medium heat, making sure you do not burn them (burned peppers make the dish taste bitter). Soak peppers in 3 cups of hot water for 20 minutes. Roast* the onion, garlic, and tomato, and place in your blender.
    * Your just want to get some color on your aromatics. Either roast in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 450F, or pan sear on medium-high heat until veggies are charred
  • Heat a small pan to medium heat. Add the whole cloves, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, and black peppercorns. Toast for 1 minute. Place them in your blender along with the roasted tomatoes, herbs, cilantro stems*, Serrano peppers*, ginger*, onion, garlic, cinnamon and the vinegar.
  • Once peppers are soft, drain, add to the blender and puree until you have a smooth sauce. Add a few tablespoons of water only if your blender is having a hard time processing it. Season the sauce with salt.
  • Strain the sauce over the meat, making sure the meat is covered all over with the salsa. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours to allow all the meat to absorb the flavors.
  • Add the meat and marinade to the instant pot along with GOOD beef bone broth. Add salt. Cook on manual - high pressure - 45 minutes. Natural release 15 minutes.
  • Remove the meat from the broth. Shred the beef using 2 forks or a stand mixer. Taste and season both the meat and the Birria .

BUILD AND FRY THE QUESATACOS

  • Heat a medium-large pan on medium heat. Wet bottom of the pan with oil (I use Pam).
  • Dip a tortilla in the Birria broth. Add to pan. While tortilla is sizzling, add shredded beef to the pan.
  • Flip the tortilla. Add cheese to sparsely cover the tortilla. Put the seared beef on one side of the tortilla. Add onion and cilantro on top of beef. Fold the tortilla in half like a taco. Squish to seal.
  • Serve with limes and a side of birria.

Notes

For more authenticity...
Use goats meat with or instead of beef
Sub cilantro for papaloquelite