Cheesy Birria-Style Beef Tacos

Ingredients

• 4 Dried guajillo chillies, stalks and seeds removed
• 2 Dried ancho chillies, stalks and seeds removed
• 240 ml (1 cup) Boiling water, for soaking the chillies
• 900 g (2 lb) Beef chuck, cut into large chunks
• 2 tbsp Neutral oil
• 1 Onion, roughly chopped
• 5 Garlic cloves
• 400 g (14 oz) Tinned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Ground cumin
• 2 tsp Dried oregano
• ½ tsp Ground cinnamon
• 2 Bay leaves
• 480 ml (2 cups) Beef stock
• 2 tsp Salt, plus more to taste
• 12 Corn tortillas
• 225 g (8 oz) Mozzarella or Monterey Jack, grated
• White onion, coriander and lime wedges, finely chopped / to serve

You’ll need: Large ovenproof pot with lid, Blender, Large frying pan

Method

1. 1

   Soak the chillies. Toast the chillies in a dry pan over medium heat for 20 to 30 seconds per side, just until fragrant; do not let them blacken or they turn bitter. Put them in a heatproof bowl, pour over the boiling water and leave for 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Blend the sauce. Tip the chillies and their soaking water into a blender with the onion, garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, cumin, oregano, cinnamon and salt. Let the steam escape (remove the centre of the lid and cover with a cloth) and blend until completely smooth.

3. 3

   Brown the beef. Heat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Pat the beef dry and season with salt. Brown it in the oil in a large ovenproof pot in 2 batches, 4 to 5 minutes per batch, until deeply coloured on at least two sides.

4. 4

   Braise. Return all the beef to the pot. Pour over the chilli sauce and the stock, add the bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cover tightly and braise in the oven for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, until the beef shreds easily with a fork.

5. 5

   Shred and season. Lift the beef out, remove the bay leaves and shred the meat with two forks, discarding large pieces of fat. Skim the fat from the surface of the broth into a small bowl and keep it. Taste the broth and add salt if it needs it. Moisten the beef with a few spoonfuls of broth.

6. 6

   Fill and crisp. Dip each tortilla briefly in the skimmed fat, or brush it with a little oil, and lay it in a hot frying pan over medium heat. Add a handful of cheese and some beef to one half, fold over and cook for 2 minutes per side, until crisp, golden and the cheese has melted. Repeat.

7. 7

   Serve. Serve the tacos with the warm broth in small cups for dipping, with chopped onion, coriander and lime wedges. Pour the broth carefully: it is very hot.