Simply the BEST tacos you’ll ever make! These beef birria tacos combine smoky, tender beef chuck roast with a rich, spicy chilli sauce, served on corn tortillas with melted cheese and fresh garnishes for an unforgettable BBQ experience.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 4 hours
Cuisine: BBQ, Mexican
Servings: 24 Tacos
Equipment:
1 Barbeque/Smoker/Griddle
1 Blender
1 Dutch Oven
1 Cast Iron Pam
2 Litre Saucepan
Ingredients:
Beef and Sauce:
1.8 kg beef chuck roast
24 corn tortillas
680 g grated cheese
6 guajillo chillies, dried
3 ancho chillies, dried
3 pasilla chillies, dried
2 brown onions
1 carrot
2 jalapeño chillies, fresh
1 serrano chilli, fresh
3 medium tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, fresh
2 (1 L) containers beef stock
115 g SuckleBusters 1836 Beef Rub
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp salt, or to taste
Spice Blend:
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp SuckleBusters 1836 Beef Rub
3 whole bay leaves
Garnish:
4 limes, sliced
1 bunch coriander, chopped
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 jalapeño and/or serrano chillies, finely chopped
Instructions
Preparing and Cooking the Beef:
Preheat your smoker to 149°C.
Heavily season the beef chuck roast with SuckleBusters 1836 Beef Rub.
Place the beef on the smoker and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 71°C, approximately 2-3 hours.
Preparing and Cooking the Vegetables:
Preheat your barbecue to high heat (204-260°C).
Roughly chop 1 brown onion, 1 carrot, 2 jalapeño chillies, and 1 serrano chilli.
Place the chopped vegetables in a cast iron pan with 2-3 tbsp olive oil and sauté on the barbecue.
As the vegetables begin to caramelise and turn brown, add the tomatoes.
When the tomatoes start to break down, add 6 cloves of crushed garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with 250 ml of beef stock, then remove from heat and set aside.
Preparing and Cooking the Chillies:
Deseed 6 guajillo, 3 ancho, and 3 pasilla chillies.
Place the chillies in a 2-litre saucepan, cover with water, and cook until tender.
Remove the saucepan from heat and set aside.
Pureeing Vegetables and Chillies:
Add the cooked vegetables and their juices to a blender.
Add the cooked chillies to the blender.
Pour in 750 ml of beef stock.
Blend on low to incorporate, then on high for 30-45 seconds until smooth.
Finishing the Beef:
Transfer the pureed vegetables and chillies to a Dutch oven.
Add the cooked beef chuck roast to the Dutch oven.
Stir in the spice blend (cinnamon, cumin, oregano, SuckleBusters 1836 Beef Rub, and bay leaves).
Add additional beef stock as needed to achieve desired consistency.
Cook on low heat (slight simmer) until the beef is fall-apart tender, about 2 hours.
Remove the beef from the Dutch oven, chop or shred, and set aside.
Assembling the Tacos:
Preheat the flat top griddle to medium-high heat.
Dip each corn tortilla in the vegetable and chilli stock from the Dutch oven and place on the griddle.
Add 60 g grated cheese and 60 g shredded beef to each tortilla.
Fold the tortilla over to form a taco and cook until the cheese melts and the tortilla is slightly crisp.
Remove from the griddle and set aside.
Serving:
Garnish the tacos with chopped coriander, finely chopped brown onion, jalapeño and/or serrano chillies, and a squeeze of lime.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes:
Beef Internal Temperatures:
Cooked: 63°C
Ground: 71°C
Fall-Apart Tender (Pulled): 90-96°C
Cuts of Beef:
Beef Chuck Roast: Well-marbled, ideal for slow cooking to achieve tender, flavourful results.
Smoking Wood Choices:
Apple Wood: Sweet, mild smoke flavour.
Ironbark Wood: Stronger, earthy depth.
Temperature Control:
Maintain a consistent smoker temperature of 149°C for the beef.
Foil Wrapping Technique (Optional):
If desired, wrap the beef in foil after reaching 71°C to retain moisture and accelerate cooking.
Resting Period:
Allow the beef to rest for 1 hour after cooking for optimal tenderness.
Sauce Consistency:
Adjust the beef stock in the Dutch oven to achieve your preferred sauce thickness.
Alternative Cooking Methods:
If a smoker is unavailable, use an oven at 149°C with the same cooking and resting techniques.
Adjusting Flavours:
Customise the spice blend or garnishes to your taste, such as adding more heat with extra chillies or adjusting salt levels.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve with extra dipping sauce from the Dutch oven, additional cheese, or your favourite hot sauce for added flavour.
Keywords:
BBQ, Beef, Birria, Tacos
