Birria-Style Braised Beef Chuck with Consommé

Ingredients

• 3 lb Beef Chuck, cut into big chunks
• 5 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 1 chipotle in adobo
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 cups beef stock
• Corn tortillas, cilantro, and lime, to serve

Method

1. Toast the dried chiles in a dry pot 30 seconds per side, then simmer them in the stock 10 minutes to soften.
2. Blend the chiles and their stock with the onion, garlic, chipotle, vinegar, cumin, cinnamon, and a big pinch of salt until velvet-smooth.
3. Season the Beef Chuck and sear it hard in the same pot until crusty on two sides. Pour the chile broth over, add the bay leaves, and cover.
4. Braise at a bare simmer (or in a 325°F/165°C oven) for 2–2½ hours, until the Beef Chuck collapses into shreds.
5. Shred the meat into the fat-slicked consommé. Serve in bowls, or fold into tortillas dipped in the braising liquid and crisped on a griddle — the reason this dish broke the internet.