Don't cook a lot and got the craving to make homemade Birria in the slow cooker. Followed this recipe:
https://downshiftology.com/recipes/birria/
Which was fine, it was flavorful in a lot of ways (Rich in chile/tomato) but was somehow too plain. What can I do differently?
Me and my SO were thinking…
*More Salt
*Shred the meat more/better?
*More time to soak in sauce after the shred?
*More spice maybe?
Really want to perfect this as my girlfriend loves this stuff and I do too if its done right. Thanks for any advice!
The onion/lime/cilantro on top is the only thing that saved it. But the meat/broth was far too plain.
by SunlitNight
8 Comments
I haven’t tried that recipe but I 100% vote that you try this one next time https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/quesabirria-tacos/
I tried this and it was ridiculously good. Like one of the best things that I’ve ever tasted good
When I tuse a roast to make birria or barbacoa, I cut the beef into chunks so the flavor penetrates better. You can make the chili paste into a marinade and let it soak for 24 hours.
I would say it’s a bit light on the salt. 1 usually shoot for 0.75-1% salt. 2tsp kosher salt could 6-12g and you’d want 18g just for 4lb beef, but that’s not counting all the other ingredients and broth. Depending on how salty your beef stock was. Good news is if you have leftovers, it’s easy to salt it and then let it sit overnight to diffuse. You could also add beef boullion to up the beef flavor.
https://diyjoy.com/ultimate-birria-tacos-recipe/ is the recipe I follow and it’s always great
When I make it for dinner I will cook it in the crock pot overnight the night before. In the morning I shred the meat and put it back in the crock pot with some of the sauce/cooking liquid.
aww, her recipes are usually pretty bomb! onion/lime/cilantro is definitely required to cut through the richness. if you wan’t to go lighter on the toppings then you should add an acid to the sauce. Lime might go bad if you it (I dont know) so I would try some white vinegar, it’s a safer bet since I dont know. or hot sauce. like tabasco since it’s bland and all vinegar.
Aldi had birra on clearance – 50% off – so I bought one and put it in the crock pot. It was good with cheese, lettuce, onion, and tomato. Got lots of leftovers.
Any suggestions?
The recipe looks pretty standard from what I’ve seen.
Personally, I like the way that browning the meat prior to braising tastes. A little Maillard reaction goes a long way. So, I usually cut the meat into 3” cubes and roast it in the oven for 20 minutes.
I use a cinnamon stick instead of powdered cinnamon in the braise.
I usually add a tbsp of better than bouillon to the braise as well. It adds salt and a punch of beef flavor to what becomes the consommé.
And I usually skip the cumin. It never seemed necessary, at least to me.
But, I make birria in a Dutch oven, not a slow cooker.