Quesabirria tacos

Ingredients

Birria

• 2½ lb boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 3-inch chunks
• 2 lb bone-in beef short ribs
• 1 tbsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; 2 tsp if Morton), plus more to taste
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Adobo

• 8 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 3 dried chiles de árbol, stemmed (fewer for less heat)
• 2 Roma tomatoes, halved
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick, about 3 inches
• 3 bay leaves
• 6 cups beef broth

Tacos

• 24 corn tortillas (6 inch)
• 1½ lb Oaxaca cheese or low-moisture mozzarella, shredded

To serve

• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 4 limes, cut into wedges

Steps

At home

1. The day before, season the beef with the salt. Brown it in the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, in batches, and set it aside.
2. Cover the dried chiles with hot water and soak 15 minutes. Meanwhile, char the tomatoes, onion and garlic in the same pot, 5 minutes.
3. Drain the chiles and blend them with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, oregano, cumin, pepper, cloves and 2 cups of the broth until smooth. Strain it into the pot.
4. Add the beef, the rest of the broth, the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves. Bring it to a simmer, cover and braise in a 325°F oven until the beef shreds with a fork, 3 to 3½ hours.
5. Pull the bones, cinnamon and bay leaves. Shred the beef and return it to the consommé. Season with salt. Cool it and refrigerate it within 2 hours.
6. On game morning, lift the hardened red fat off the top into a jar. Heat the beef and consommé on the stove until they read 165°F. Lift the beef into a lidded foil pan with a ladle of consommé over it, and pour the consommé into an insulated jug or a lidded pot.
7. Preheat a cooler with hot water, pour it out and line it with a towel. Set in the pan of beef and the consommé, cover them with a second towel and close it. Nothing cold goes in it. The jar of red fat, the cheese, onion, cilantro and limes ride in the cold cooler at 40°F or below.

At the lot

8. Check that the beef and consommé still read 140°F or above. If they've dropped below that, heat them in a pot on the burner or grill until they read 165°F.
9. Heat a griddle or cast iron over medium. Warm the jar of red fat until it melts.
10. Dip a tortilla in the red fat and lay it on the griddle. Top half with cheese and a scoop of beef, let the cheese melt, fold it over and crisp both sides, 2 to 3 minutes a side.
11. Serve with onion, cilantro, lime and a cup of hot consommé for dipping. Cooked beef and consommé sit out no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.

Cook ahead

12. If your lot bans flame, griddle the tacos at home through step 10, lay them in lidded foil pans and carry them in the towel-lined hot cooler with the consommé. The crust softens on the ride, so expect a softer taco.