I get TONS of requests for my recipe and for me to make birria. I learned this recipe from my Papito (daddy) from Jalisco, Mexico. It is easy, inexpensive, and delicious. Everything you need should be easy to find at your local grocery store or supermarket. Check the "Hispanic" or specialty aisles, or visit a Latin Market!

Preferred supplies:

— Crock pot or pressure cooker

— Beef roast, I prefer chuck

— Whole dried chiles [mild, for flavor]: California, Pasilla, Ancho, Mulato, Guajillo, New Mexico, Puya.

If you want it hotter, add japonés or chile de árbol.

**or** Chili powder — California, Pasilla, Ancho, Mulato, Guajillo, New Mexico, Puya. If you want it hotter, add japonés or chile de árbol.

— Cumin/Comino, pinch

— Knorr bouillon [in cubes or powder]: beef

— Raw onion, several

— Raw whole peeled garlic cloves, many

Step 1: IF USING DRIED CHILES, Start Here:

Wash and stem the dried chiles in the sink, let the sink strainer catch the pieces.

Discard the seeds and stems.

Boil the dried chiles in plenty of water until rehydrated and the liquid is red.

Add the liquid and the chiles to a blender.

Step 2: IF USING POWDERED CHILES, Start Here:

IF USING POWDERED CHILES:

Put the following in the blender:

— chile powder —OR— boiled chiles & liquid

— comino

— Knorr beef bouillon cubes

— 1 raw onion

— raw peeled garlic cloves

— water to cover (unless you already added the liquid from boiling the whole chiles).

Blend until completely smooth.

Step 3: Make an Onion Rack

Start the crock pot / pressure cooker on low to warm up.

Add halved onions to the bottom to act as a rack for the beef and absorb extra beef fat.

Step 4: Sit Roast on the Onion Rack

Add the beef roast to the crock pot / pressure cooker and sit it on top of the onions.

Step 5: Cover the Roast in the Sauce

Add the entire contents of the blender: the sauce, on top of the roast.

The sauce should submerge the roast.

Step 6: Cook

Pressure cooker: Cook for at least an hour after the pressure builds and you lower the heat per your pressure cooker.

—OR—

Crock pot: Cook overnight or during the workday (8+hrs) on low.

—OR—

*Note: I have made a double batch in a large electric covered roaster: 200 degrees overnight or during the workday (8+hrs)

Step 7: After It Is Cooked:

After the roast is cooked [by any method]:

I take out the roast, let it cool, defat and shred the meat, and discard the fat/gristle.

Traditionally this step is optional. You just shred and serve.

Step 8: Defat & Reduce the Sauce

I strain the sauce into a fat separator and then add it to a saucepan to make a reduction of it on high.

Once reduced, add salt to taste.

Traditionally this step is also optional. You just serve it saucy.