Dining In? Try This Decadent Birria Beef Sandwich Favorite
Photo Courtesy of Ryan Ritual
Decadent, messy, and everyone’s favorite. Birria is having its moment and we are absolutely here for it.
Everywhere you look you’re sure to find a version of a birria recipe. We chose the sandwich version.
Photo Courtesy of Ryan Ritual
So what is birria and where did it start?
We dug a little deeper for some history on this favorite, and also put a La Quinta resident home cook to the challenge.
Traditionally a stew made of goat and chilies, the goat meat has been mostly replaced by beef, lamb or pork in modern cooking. The chilies and meat ingredients can vary by chef, but the process seldom does. Birria was born of a famine in Jalisco, Mexico when goats were brought over from Spain. Goats were largely responsible for this famine, as they decimated farmlands and soon became the featured ingredient in the now famous birria. Due to its tough nature the Spaniards did not care much for goat meat, but the indigenous peoples of Mexico were unbothered by the challenge as they had the spices and techniques to tenderize the meat to perfection.
Just for the delicious fun of it- we put our resident home cook to the challenge - Ryan Ritual and one half of the star duo of Mating Ritual and Pacific Air.
Ryan stopped by to share his absolutely to die for Birria Sandwich recipe. When he’s not writing and performing music full-time, he’s in La Quinta practicing another artistic talent of his - cooking. Take the time and try this out - you’ll have a hard time eating out ever again.
Birria Sandwich Recipe
Photo Courtesy of Ryan Ritual
3-5 bone in short ribs
2 lb chuck steak
8 guajillo chilies
4 ancho chilies
3 chipotles in adobo
8-10 cloves garlic
1 medium white onion
5 cups water (2 for chili paste, 3 for simmer)
Chicken bouillon
Cumin
Chili powder
Paprika
Mexican oregano
Bay leaves
Oaxaca cheese
Ciabatta (inside removed)
Diced cilantro and white onion (for topping)
Limes
1. Deseed all chilis, toast in Dutch oven for 2-3 minutes or until slight char. Add garlic cloves for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add 2 cups water and simmer 7-8 minutes. Add to blender or food processor along with chopped white onion and chipotles. Blend until smooth(ish)
2. Wipe out Dutch oven and lightly oil. Set to medium high heat, brown short ribs and chuck until nice crust but not cooked through. Add chili sauce, 3 cups water, bouillon, cumin, paprika, chili powder and Mexican oregano, cover and simmer at medium for 3-4 hours, or until meat is tender/falling off bone
3. Skim fat/imperfections off top, stir every 40-50 minutes.
4. Remove meat and shred with forks (discarding bones), set aside.
5. Strain consommé through fine mesh sieve, pressing down to save as much liquid as possible.
6. Dip hollowed bread into consommé and griddle at high heat until slightly browned
7. Add shredded Oaxaca cheese, meat and return to griddle until bread slightly crispy
8. Add cilantro, onions and lime to consommé, dip sandwich as many times as your heart can handle.