Birria Enchiladas with Consommé (Print Version)
Slow-cooked beef birria meets classic enchiladas in this rich, flavorful Mexican dish with melted cheese and savory consommé.
# What You'll Need:
→ Birria
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→ Enchiladas
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# Directions:
01 - Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles, toast for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 15 minutes until softened.
02 - In the same skillet, roast quartered onion, garlic cloves, and halved tomatoes until slightly charred, about 5 minutes.
03 - Drain soaked chiles and combine with roasted vegetables, vinegar, oregano, thyme, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, and 1 cup beef broth in a blender. Puree until completely smooth.
04 - Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef chuck and short ribs, searing on all sides until deeply browned.
05 - Pour blended sauce over the beef. Add remaining broth, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2.5–3 hours until meat is fork-tender and easily shreds.
06 - Remove beef from the pot. Shred with two forks, discarding bones and excess fat. Skim excess fat from the consommé, reserving a small amount for frying tortillas.
07 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Dip each corn tortilla in warm birria consommé, then fry briefly in a hot skillet with a little reserved fat until pliable, about 10–15 seconds per side.
08 - Fill each tortilla with shredded birria and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll up tightly and place seam-side down in a baking dish.
09 - Pour extra birria consommé over the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 10–15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
10 - Serve hot, garnished with diced white onion, chopped fresh cilantro, and lime wedges on the side.
# Expert Tips:
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- The tortillas soak up that birria consommé like little flavor sponges getting all tender and beefy
- You get the satisfaction of three hours of simmering without standing over the stove the whole time
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- The consommé thickens as it cools, so if it seems too thin when assembling, just simmer it uncovered for a few extra minutes
- Dipping tortillas in hot consommé makes them fragile, so work quickly and handle them gently to avoid tearing
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- If the consommé tastes too bitter after blending, add a teaspoon of brown sugar to balance it
- Frying the dipped tortillas before rolling creates a better texture than simply softening them in liquid