This authentic Mexican birria recipe from the guy who made Korean tacos “a thing” is so easy to make and can be done on the barbecue.
One of my favourite things to do in the summer is sit out on our back patio and read.
It can be dangerous because if I find a good book it means I forget that perhaps I also need to fit work into my day.
When I picked up Roy Choi’s L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food I had no idea it capture my attention and leave me sunburnt from hours under the sun reading the story of his crazy life and the food that reflected his story.
I had heard about Roy Choi years ago but didn’t know much about him.
Other than that Korean taco guy but he piqued my curiosity on the last season on Top Chef when he lambasted everyone for their medicore tacos with a bluntness that I appreciated and thought was hilarious:
Y’all fucked this shit up.
If you were in my kitchen man this would be a point where we go in the walk in and we start straight talkin.
This was the single best moment of Top Chef – who cares who won.
Roy Choi has had an interesting life. I don’t want to give too much away but he has risen and fallen so many times.
But what is special about the book is his honesty, about himself, his parents and a childhood so different from my own.
And in some ways I’m jealous that he was able to pinpoint food that represents different moments in his life.
Despite having no Latin American heritage I’m always drawn to food in this area of the world.
So while Roy Choi had some great recipes from around the world I wanted to try the Mexican goat birria recipe first.
The recipe is quite simple, first you toast all of the ingredients and then they are stewed for a couple of hours.
Pico de Gallo
How to Make Posole – with a bonus video
Mexican Ceviche
Sopa de Lima
The Michelada
If you don’t like goat it is perfectly acceptable to substitute other meat such as beef or pork, which may be easier to find in some areas.
And while I promised Dave this would be his day off I did ask for help squeezing lime.
And I also asked if he could prepare some avocado for the dish.
As a chef he interpreted that as preparing a beautiful plate with freshly made chili oil.
I’m not going to complain.
After toasting some tortillas it’s really a simple dish.
Mexican Birria Recipe
Roy Choi's Birria Recipe - Mexican Stew
This authentic Mexican birria recipe from the guy who made Korean tacos “a thing” is so easy to make and can be done on the barbecue.
Ingredients
- 4 dried guajillo chiles
- 2 dried ancho chiles
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 1 habanero pepper
- 1 green onion
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 1/2 lbs goat stewing meat cut into 1-2 inch cubes
- 2 tomatoes
Instructions
- On barbecue toast chiles in a cast iron pan over medium heat until they begin to smoke and char on each side. Transfer to a plate and once they are cooled remove some or all of the seeds.
- Place the remaining vegetables in the pan until also smoking and charred. Tomatoes will take the longest and may work best directly on the grill.
- With a mortar and pestle grind the oregano, cumin and cloves.
- In a blender puree the vegetables, spices, vinegar, brown sugar and water. Rub half on goat and then season with salt and pepper.
- Place goat on wire rack and place on barbecue heated to 350F. Cook with lid closed for 45 minutes.
- Puree tomatoes with remaining marinade and put in pot and add roasted goat. Add enough water to cover the goat meat. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 2 hours.
- Put in family size bowl and garnish with lime, cilantro and onion. Serve with toasted tortillas.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 62Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 17mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 5gNutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although BaconisMagic.ca attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Love the new site design! Makes everything so crisp and pretty !
Thanks for posting this recipe! I saw the picture on Instagram and immediately needed to make it. Looks absolutely delicious!!
Yup, definitely going to take a crack at this one. Did you just eat it in tacos or as a stew as well? When I was in Mexico I learned that the preparation varied by area. Jalisco mainly eats birria in tacos so that is what I found, always wanted to try it as soup.
We ate it in tacos with some goat milk yogurt….that was a coincidence, I didn’t have sour cream and I really like goat milk yogurt.
The only thing I would do differently next time is to simmer it longer. The goat I had was a bit tough and I think could have used another hour.
My goodness – that stew looks (and sounds!) amazing!
The beautiful, brightly colored photos really caught my attention too. Wish I could reach through my computer screen and taste everything. I also listened to an NPR article about Roy Choi recently and I’m dying to read his book. Sounds like it has your recommendation!
Your food posts keep making me drool, and I absolutely must check out the book about Roy Choi and see that Top Chef episode – it sounds hilarious 🙂
This looks amazing! Love the new design!!!
Delicious photos. Avocados are my favorite food ever, I swear I could eat them plain all day long. Any dish that uses them gets a big thumbs up from me
Consequently tasty! That seems to be amazing!
I’m Mexico bound in a few weeks and this has me psyched! To have meals like this will have me in bliss the entire time … I may have to make this before I go 🙂
My mouth was literally watering looking at these photos. I want to eat my computer screen…nom nom.
Wuaaau!
Looks tasty, i love mexican ingredients and the explosion of flavor of their food
Thanks
I love birria! I have been craving it since a trip to a roadside diner on the outskirts of Arandas, Jalisco, in 2010 with a restaurant owner who swore it was the best in the city. Time to find some goat (or in a pinch, mutton) and make some this fall after my guajillos ripen up…
This one looks really delicious. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the share.
Pure Authentic Recipe
The and cooking techniques are what makes this dish Especial.
-I can feel the passion .
-A True Foodie at Heart
Happy Holidays everyone – Stay Safe
How can I view more recipes?
Thanks so much, you can find all the recipes by category here: https://www.baconismagic.ca/recipes-at-home/