Have you seen this viral recipe hit all social media platforms? The birria quesa taco is a delicious combination of spices, beef and cheese, creating a perfect bite. These tacos are drenched with chili sauce, drawing in flavor and a little bit of spice. While I'm not from Mexican descent, making these tacos is a fun way to immerse myself into a bit of Mexican culture.
Ingredients list:
- 4 lb Beef Short Rib (heavily salted and peppered)
- 4 lb Chuck Roast (heavily salted and peppered)
- 2 Tbsp Oil
- 15 Guajillo Chile
- 12 Chile Puya
- 4 Chile Ancho
- 5 Chile de Arbol (optional for spice)
- 10 Garlic Cloves
- 6 Bay Leaves
- 2 Onion (1 whole, 1 diced)
- 5 cups of water
- 2 Inch Piece Ginger (peeled)
- 1 tsp Peppercorns
- 1 tsp Whole Cumin Seed
- 1 tsp Mexican Oregano
- 3 Whole Cloves
- 1 Tbsp White Vinegar
- 2 Roma Tomatoes
- Corn Tortillas
- Shredded Cheese
- Cilantro (chopped)
- Limes
- Salsa (optional
- Sour Cream (optional)
- Guacamole (optional)
・・・
To prepare the died chiles, you need to remove the stem and seeds.
Next, after covering the beef in salt and pepper, cut the chuck roast into smaller pieces to speed up the cooking process. Sear the beef in oil for four to six minutes per side.
After that, add the beef back into the pot, along with the dried chiles, garlic, bay leaves, onion, ginger and water. Cover the lid and set to a medium-high heat and let sit for two hours.
Once open, transfer all solid vegetables such as the onion, chiles and garlic to the blender. Take out the bay leaves and ginger and discard. Once in the blender, add the whole cumin seeds, peppercorns, Mexican oreganos, whole cloves, white vinegar and the Roma tomatoes and blend together.
Next, remove the bones from the short ribs and shred the rest of the beef.
For later, cut up the red onion, limes and cilantro.
Next, heat up a large pan and heat it up on medium heat. Take the tortillas and dip them into the fatty top part of the consome and place them on the griddle. Cook for 30-45 seconds per side and flip.
After, place cheese onto one side of the tortilla.
Next, place the beef on top of the side with cheese.
Now place the cilantro and red onion you just cut up on top of the beef. Squeeze lime juice on top of the taco.
Finally, flip the quesa taco onto one side of its surface.
To serve your quesa birria tacos, get a bowl of consome, season it with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole. Add more cilantro, onion and lime and dip it into the consome.
All photos by Caroline Zajac '25