Mexican

Matt Preston's quesabirria tacos

Name: Matt Preston's Quesabirria tacos recipe
Yield: 8
Cuisine: /mexican
Ingredients: 2 tsp black peppercorns; 20.00 ml cumin seeds; 2kg beef short rib, bone in, not too fatty (you can also use chuck steak cut into chunks); 4 dried guajillo chillies (or dried pasilla chillies); 4 dried ancho chillies (or 4 dried morita chillies, replacing chipotle below, or four more dried guajillo chillies); 1 dried chipotle chilli (optional, see above); 20.00 ml extra virgin olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 4 ripe vine-ripened or truss tomatoes, chopped; 4 fresh bay leaves; 20.00 ml dried oregano; 3 tsp ground cinnamon; 2 tsp ground cumin; 6 whole cloves; 1 garlic bulb, crushed; 1 heaped cup of ice cubes; 60ml white wine vinegar; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1L (4 cups) beef stock; 16-24 small soft tacos; 500g Oaxaca cheese, grated (or a 50/50 mix of grated tasty cheese and mozzarella); Coriander sprigs, to serve; 1 white onion, thinly sliced into rounds, to serve; 2 limes, cut into wedges, to serve

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by Matt Preston

delicious. senior editor

May 21, 2023

Birria is a dish that was trending well before ‘going viral’ was a thing. Here, it gets a modern-day, cheese-laden upgrade.

2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tbs cumin seeds
2kg beef short rib, bone in, not too fatty (you can also use chuck steak cut into chunks)
4 dried guajillo chillies (or dried pasilla chillies)
4 dried ancho chillies (or 4 dried morita chillies, replacing chipotle below, or four more dried guajillo chillies)
1 dried chipotle chilli (optional, see above)
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 ripe vine-ripened or truss tomatoes, chopped
4 fresh bay leaves
1 tbs dried oregano
3 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cumin
6 whole cloves
1 garlic bulb, crushed
1 heaped cup of ice cubes
1/4 cup (60ml) white wine vinegar
1 tsp ground ginger
1L (4 cups) beef stock
16-24 small soft tacos
500g Oaxaca cheese, grated (or a 50/50 mix of grated tasty cheese and mozzarella)
Coriander sprigs, to serve
1 white onion, thinly sliced into rounds, to serve
2 limes, cut into wedges, to serve

Method

1.

Using a mortar and pestle, pound 1 tbs salt flakes, peppercorns and cumin seeds to a powder. Transfer to a large bowl with the beef ribs and toss to coat. Rest in the fridge until required.
2.

Cut stems off chillies and tap out the seeds. Heat a 4.5L heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Toast chillies for 1 minute or until fragrant. Place 2 cups boiling water in a large jug and add chillies, pushing them down into the water. Stand for at least 15 minutes to soften (longer won’t hurt).
3.

Heat oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes or until soft. Add chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add bay leaves, oregano, spices and garlic, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender. Add chillies and their water, ice cubes, vinegar and ginger. Whiz until almost smooth.
4.

Pour chilli marinade into pan. Add ribs and gently toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.
5.

The next day, add stock to pan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook for 4 hours, until the meat falls off the bone. Skim off fat into a bowl. Using tongs, transfer meat to a board. Discard bones and shred meat with a sharp knife and fork. Place meat in a large bowl with 2-3 cups of its sauce. Reserve remaining sauce to serve.
6.

Heat a medium frypan over medium heat and brush generously with the skimmed fat. Add tacos and cook until warm and pliable, then flip. Top one half of each taco with a thin layer of cheese, a good layer of meat and a little more cheese. Fold, press and fry for 2-3 minutes over high heat (brushing with more oil if required). Flip, and cook until cheese melts and taco gets crispy.
7.

Serve with coriander sprigs, sliced onion and a squeeze of lime. Serve the reserved sauce on the side, to dip your tacos in. Don’t forget to take a video and post it to Insta or TikTok.