Jalisco, Mexico. Birria has been a traditional Jalisco dish since the colonial period, made from goat to control the goat population brought by Spanish colonisers. The Tijuana quesabirria taco became internationally viral via social media in 2019-2020.
Birria is a consomme-braised goat or beef stew from Jalisco — the broth (consomme) and the meat are served separately, and the tortillas are dipped in the consomme before being griddled, producing a crispy, consome-stained taco that is also dunked in the consomme at service. The viral iteration (quesabirria — with melted cheese) made birria internationally known, but the original stew is the foundation.
Modelo Especial with a lime wedge — the clean Mexican lager alongside the rich, chilli-spiced birria. Or a spicy Michelada (lager, lime, hot sauce, salt-rimmed glass).
{"The chilli base: guajillo, ancho, and pasilla dried chillies, toasted and soaked, blended with garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, and apple cider vinegar","Meat: bone-in beef short ribs or chuck, or goat (birria's traditional protein) — the bones contribute collagen to the consomme","Marinate overnight in the chilli paste, then slow-braise at 150C for 3-4 hours in the oven, or in a pressure cooker for 90 minutes","Strain the broth (consomme) from the braising liquid: season with salt, the consomme should be a deep brick-red","Quesabirria assembly: dip corn tortilla in consomme, griddle in a hot pan, add shredded birria meat and Oaxaca cheese, fold and griddle until the cheese melts and the taco is crispy","Serve with a cup of warm consomme alongside — the taco is dunked in the consomme with each bite"}
The moment where birria tacos live or die is the tortilla dip — the tortilla must be submerged in hot consomme (not warm) for 5-10 seconds, then transferred immediately to a hot griddle. The hot griddle sizzles on contact with the consomme-soaked tortilla, crisping it while the consomme is absorbed into the corn. The result should be a tortilla that is both crispy and saturated with the chilli-beef broth.
{"Not dipping the tortilla in consomme before griddling: this produces a plain fried taco, not a birria taco — the consomme stains the tortilla deep red and provides the characteristic flavour","Under-braising: the meat must pull away from the bone easily","Thin consomme: the broth should be intensely flavoured and slightly thick from the rendered collagen"}