Birria de Res en Caldo (Jalisco Beef Stew in Chilli Broth)

• 1.8 kg (4 lb) boneless beef chuck (diezmillo), in large pieces
• Beef short ribs: 900 g (2 lb) meaty bone-in beef short ribs (costilla cargada)
• 1–2 tbsp lard (manteca), for searing
• 1 chile morita (or a dried chipotle), stem removed
• 3 guajillo chillies, stemmed and seeded
• 1 ancho chilli, stemmed and seeded
• ½ medium onion
• 6 garlic cloves, roasted in their skins, then peeled
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 5 allspice berries (pimienta gorda)
• 2 whole cloves
• 5–7 cm (2–3 in) cinnamon stick
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp salt, plus more to taste
• about 1.5 litres water in all: 2 cups boiling to soak the chillies, 2–3 cups to blend, the rest to just cover the meat
• finely chopped onion, to serve
• chopped coriander (cilantro), to serve
• lime wedges, to serve

Method

The cook speaks Spanish; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.

1. Stem the dried chillies (seed the guajillos and ancho; keep the morita's seeds). Toast them on a dry pan over medium heat for about a minute, turning, without burning. Soak in 2 cups just-boiled water, covered, for 20–30 minutes. 0:09
2. On the same pan, roast the half onion, the unpeeled garlic and the tomatoes, turning, until charred in spots. Peel the garlic. 1:04
3. Heat a tablespoon of lard in a heavy ovenproof pot over high heat and brown the short ribs well on all sides, then the chuck in large pieces, adding more lard if needed. 1:49
4. Toss the spices in the pot for 20–30 seconds until fragrant, then tip them into a blender with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, 1 tbsp salt, the chillies and their soaking water, plus 2–3 cups more water. Blend smooth (strain if your blender leaves bits). 3:10
5. Return all the meat to the pot, pour in the sauce and add water just to cover. Bring to the boil, taste for salt, cover and cook in the oven at 160°C (or very low on the stove) for 3–3½ hours, until the meat is very tender. 4:20
6. Pull the meat into large shreds and serve in bowls with plenty of the broth, topped with chopped onion, coriander and a squeeze of lime. 5:47

Tip. Serves about 10 (our estimate for 2.7 kg of meat). Traditionally eaten with corn tortillas and salsa; on its own in the broth it stays low in carbs. Skim the fat off the top for a leaner bowl. Freezes well.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.