Slow-braised birria beef stew

Birria beef stew gets its depth from a well-made chili paste. Remove the stems and seeds from guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chili peppers, tear them into smaller pieces, and briefly toast in a dry pan for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Do not burn them.

Transfer the toasted peppers to a bowl, cover with hot water so they are submerged, and let soak for 10-15 minutes until softened.

Meanwhile, blanch the tomatoes in hot water, peel them, and chop. Peel the garlic. Chop one onion finely for serving later, and leave the other whole for cooking.

In a blender, combine the soaked chili (including some of the soaking water), tomatoes, garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, and dried oregano, and blend into a smooth paste. Add a little more soaking water as needed to help the paste blend well.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped onion and saute for 4-6 minutes until translucent.

Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the chili paste, and let it cook for 4-5 minutes to develop the aroma and mellow the raw flavor.

Add the beef cut into larger chunks and sear for 4-6 minutes on all sides until browned. Work in two batches if the pot is too full.

Add the whole onion, cloves, allspice, whole peppercorns, bay leaf, a sprig of thyme, and a piece of cinnamon to the pot. Pour in approximately 1,200 ml of water, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar (white or apple) and 1-1.5 teaspoons of salt.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and simmer for 2.5-3 hours until the meat is very tender and easily falls apart.

Strain the finished mixture through a fine sieve and reserve the broth. Remove the whole onion and whole spices and discard. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and shred or chop into smaller pieces.

For a more intense flavor, reduce some of the broth in a pan to the desired concentration and season with salt or vinegar as needed.

Divide the shredded meat into bowls, ladle hot broth (consome) over it, and sprinkle with chopped onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Briefly warm the corn tortillas in a dry pan or directly over a flame and serve hot alongside the meat. Offer the broth for dipping (consome) as a side.