JALISCO BEEF BIRRIA Sunscape Puerto Vallarta Prep time: 1 hour Cook time: 4 hours Total time: 5 hours Ingredients: For the marinade: • 3 dried guajillo chiles For the birria: • 3 dried ancho chiles • 3–4 pounds bone-in stew meat such as goat, lamb shoul- • 3 dried chiles de árbol der, lamb ribs, beef shank, short ribs, or beef chuck • 1 medium white onion, diced • 2 bay leaves • 7 garlic cloves, peeled • 1 cinnamon stick • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar • ½ 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes For serving: • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano • Corn tortillas, for serving • ½ teaspoon dried Mexican marjoram • 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and stems • 2 whole cloves, briefly toasted and ground • Lime wedges, for serving • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, briefly toasted and ground (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin) • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns • Salt, to taste Directions: 1. Cut dried chiles open to remove seeds, then briefly toast in a dry skillet. Cover chiles with hot water and soak until rehydrated, about 10–30 minutes. 2. Drain chiles. In a food processor or blender, combine rehydrated chiles with diced onion, garlic, vinegar, tomatoes, and ground spices and puree until smooth, adding a little water if needed. Taste and adjust sea- soning. 3. Transfer meat to a Dutch oven. Add bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Rub the chile sauce all over the meat and cover the Dutch oven with a lid or aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. 4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer Dutch oven (with lid or aluminum-foil cover) to oven and braise until meat is falling-off-the-bone tender, about 4 hours. 5. Remove the meat from the braising liquid. (Do not discard.) When cool enough to handle, shred the meat off the bones and set aside. 6. For soup (birria con consomé), add 3 cups water to the braising liquid and stir to combine. Add the meat back into the soup and bring to a simmer. Ladle soup into bowls and serve the soup with warm corn tortillas, cilantro, and lime. For birria tacos, reduce the braising liquid to a thick sauce. Fry the shredded meat until crispy and briefly dip warm corn tortillas in the sauce. (You can crisp the meat and warm up the tortillas on the same hot griddle.) Fill sauced tortillas with crispy meat and top with cilantro and lime..