These Birria Tacos with Consommé are made with slow-cooked pull apart beef, a rich adobo sauce and panfried with Oaxaca cheese until perfectly crisp. Each taco is dipped into the most flavorful broth, making them the ultimate Mexican comfort food.
Remove stems and seeds from dried chiles. Place inside a hot skillet and toast for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove and place inside a large bowl. Pour boiling water over chiles, enough to cover them. Let sit for 15 minutes.
Pat beef dry with a paper towel and season heavily with salt and pepper.
In a large dutch oven or pot, heat canola oil over medium heat. Add meat to the heated oil and sear each side for 3-4 minutes until browned. Transfer meat to a plate.
In the same pot, add onions, garlic cloves and tomatoes. Cook until softened and lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Next, add spices and chipotle in adobe to pot. Stir in apple cider vinegar and 3 cups of beef broth to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Use wooden spoon to scrape up all the caramelized bits.
Inside a blender, add rehydrated chiles and tomato-onion mixture. Blend on high speed until smooth. Season with salt.
Pour liquid back into the pot and place meat inside. Add bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Cover and bring to a boil. Place inside preheated oven and cook for 3 hours.
Remove the meat from the pot when it's cool enough to handle. Shred beef with two forks.
Stir remaining 3 cups of beef broth into the braising liquid to thin out. Adjust with salt if needed.
For Tacos
Heat a large cast iron skillet or pan over medium heat. Add enough canola oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
Warm tortillas in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to make them more pliable. Take each tortilla and lightly run it across the top of the braising liquid to soak up some of the flavored fat.
Place tortilla inside heated pan. Spread cheese over tortilla, all the way to the outer edge. Add shredded beef to one side and fold tortilla over.
Cook until crisp, about 3-4 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. To keep tacos warm, keep them inside a 180 degree oven until you're ready to serve.
For Serving
Place tacos onto a large platter. Pour consommé into small ramekins or bowls. Serve with diced onions, cilantro and lime wedges.