Birria de res mexican stewed beef

Birria de Res (Mexican Stewed Beef)

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

18 g Flavor Pepper blend
2 g Heat Pepper blend
2 g black pepper, fine ground
1 g dried oregano, crushed
0.5 g cumin, ground
0.3 g cinnamon, ground
0.05 g cloves, ground
24 g granulated beef bouillon
6 g Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
1000 ml homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
225 g (~2) Roma tomatoes, rough chop
- a 10 oz can of Rotel can be substituted
85 g (~2) tomatillos, husks removed and rough chop
50 g achiote paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 kg (~2¼ lb) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch cubes
225 g (~1) yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1 bay leaf

Directions:

Add the flavor blend, heat blend, black pepper, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, bouillon, MSG, chicken stock, tomatoes, and tomatillos to a large saucepan over high heat.
When it begins to boil, turn off the heat and let it cool for 15 minutes.
Using a stick blender directly in the pot (or transfer the seasoned vegetable mixture to a blender) and add the achiote paste and garlic.
Blend until it is a smooth puree.
To the seasoned vegetable puree in the pot, add the beef, onion, and bay leaf.
Cover and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat
When it is just simmering, reduce the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.
Continue cooking until the beef is fork-tender (~3 to 4 hours).
Discard the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Hold warm until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, transfer the beef chunks to a cutting board with a slotted spoon.
Shred or lightly chop the beef into bite sized pieces.

Notes:

Works great for Quesabirria (Birria Tacos).
Or serve shredded beef with prepared consomé, warm tortillas, rice, beans, and lime wedges.
- To prepare the consomé, ladle into individual serving bowls and top with diced onion and/or cilantro for dunking and/or spooning over the meat.
This is very loosely based on the Serious Eats Birria de Res (Beef Birria) recipe.