Braised Beef Tacos Recipes

BIRRIA DE RES TACOS (BEEF BIRRIA TACOS)

Steps:

• Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Add guajillo, ancho, and arbol chile peppers; boil for 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and allow peppers to soak until cool. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the water.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Rinse meat and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add meat and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Line a heavy cast-iron grill pan or griddle with aluminum foil and place over high heat. Arrange tomatoes in a single layer on top. Grill until tomato skin is burned on all sides and begins to peel, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Combine soaked chile peppers, cooked tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, 2 teaspoons black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and salt to taste in a blender. Pour in reserved 1/4 cup of chile water; blend until smooth.
• Strain chile sauce through a mesh strainer and pour over the browned meat in the Dutch oven, turning roast so it is completely covered with sauce. Cover the Dutch oven and place in the preheated oven.
• Bake, basting meat every 45 minutes with the sauce, until birria begins to fall apart, 3 to 4 hours. Remove lid and bake uncovered until birria is crispy on top, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with 2 layers of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, warm tortillas on a griddle. Fill each tortilla with birria and top with chopped onion and cilantro.

KALBI-STYLE BRAISED BEEF CHEEK TACOS

Steps:

• Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook beef cheeks until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Stir chicken broth, soy sauce, green onions, sugar, and sesame oil into the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer until beef cheeks are tender, about 2 hours.
• Remove beef cheeks from the pot using a slotted spoon; cut into bite-size pieces. Arrange beef on a dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Place a scoop of beef and some kimchi over each tortilla.

BEEF TACOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• For the beef: In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and onions. Cook until starting to soften, then add the ground beef. Cook the meat until it's totally browned, then drain the fat. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper and stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup hot water and stir. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
• For the fixins: Meanwhile, wrap the flour tortillas in foil and warm in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Right before serving, crisp the taco shells in the oven according to package instructions.
• Serve with the grated cheese, diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce.

BRAISED BRISKET TACOS

Steps:

• Make the brisket: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Mix 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Score the fat on the brisket with the tip of a sharp knife (do not cut into the meat), then rub the spice mixture all over the brisket until coated. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the brisket fat-side down and cook until browned on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Add the poblanos, red onion, garlic, the remaining 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, the coriander, oregano and a pinch of salt to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato juice and chicken broth and remove from the heat. Nestle the brisket fat-side up in the liquid and cover the pot. Bake until the meat is very tender and a thin knife inserted into the center twists easily, about 3 hours.
• Transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Spoon off and discard the excess fat from the sauce in the pot, then puree until smooth using an immersion blender (or transfer to a regular blender and puree). Stir in the vinegar and season with salt. Transfer about 3/4 cup of the sauce to a small bowl for serving. Stir 2 tablespoons water into the remaining sauce in the pot. Thinly slice the meat against the grain and return to the pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the meat is well coated with sauce and warmed through.
• Heat the tortillas in a dry skillet or in the microwave. Serve the brisket on the tortillas; drizzle with the reserved sauce and top as desired.