Birria Tacos

A street-inspired taco recipe involving pork birria, fresh corn tortillas, and homemade Chile paste.

Ingredients

For Chile paste

• 4 guajillo chiles
• 3 ancho chiles
• 3 cascabel chiles
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups hot water

For the rub

• 3 tsp dried oregano
• 3 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp cloves
• 2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp cinnamon

For the meat

• 4 lbs pork butt (or shoulder)
• 1 cup water
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cloves garlic, diced

For the corn tortillas

• 1 1/2 cups masa harina
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup hot water
• Flour for kneading

For the toppings (can substitute others)

• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 avocados, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups queso fresco, shredded
• 3-4 limes, to squeeze onto tacos
• Broth from birria

Directions

1. The night before serving, prepare the marinade. First, make the Chile paste. Toast chiles on a skillet over medium high heat until browned. Remove seeds and veins, and place in a bowl, then cover with very hot water for 20 minutes.
2. Once chiles are rehydrated, drain (save the liquid!) and process with vinegar in a blender until a paste is formed. Set aside.
3. Make the meat rub by mixing together all of the rub ingredients in a bowl. Pat pork dry and rub well with mixture, then coat with half of the Chile paste. Cover with plastic wrap in a bowl and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
4. The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour 1 cup of water into a dutch oven, add onion, garlic, remaining Chile paste, and water used to rehydrate chiles from earlier. Place meat on a rack sitting above the mixture, cover pot with lid, and bake for 4 hours.
5. When the meat has about an hour left to cook, prepare the corn tortillas. Combine masa and salt in a bowl, then stir in oil. Slowly stream in water while mixing with hand or wooden spoon, until a ball forms.
6. Turn dough on a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for an hour.
7. Break dough into 12-16 balls and lightly flour. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap, and press to a diameter of 5-6 inches.
8. Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Cook each tortilla for 1 minute on each side, or until brown spots form.
9. Once the meat is finished, remove from pot and shred, setting the broth aside for serving.
10. Prepare the tacos for serving. Add meat and spoon broth over each taco. Add onion, cilantro, and other toppings to serve.