Birria Tacos

INGREDIENTS

Flour Tortillas¾ cup water2 tablespoons oil1 teaspoon yeast1 teaspoon salt1 and ½ cup flour½ cup maize meal (I used super-fine but any type will do)


Birria500-600g steak, ideally with a nice amount of fat
Marinade:1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon chillie powder1 tablespoon Robertsons traditional braai (bbq) spice1 teaspoon mixed herbs½ teaspoon crushed black pepper ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder 1 teaspoon salt
Braise:2 bay leaves1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly crushed 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, lightly crushed
Sauce:2 cloves garlic, minced finely 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 can crushed tomatoes (I used 3 medium tomatoes, boiled and liquidised)½ a red pepper, cubed smallPinch of sugar or bicarbonate of soda

Also required~Cheese, grated~1 onion, sliced and soaked in vinegar ~⅓ head of lettuce, washed and sliced

METHOD

TortillasSimply mix the ingredients together in the order listed and knead until the dough forms a ball. It is a bit dry/stiff but kneading will make it elastic and cohesive. Set aside in a covered, greased bowl until it doubles in size. You can also make it and leave it in the fridge overnight.
Punch down, divide dough into ping-pong ball pieces (25g). I got exactly 15.Roll out to the size of a saucer and dry toast on a medium-hot tawa (toast just until cooked through, not brown- it will get toasted again later.) If all goes well, they should puff like balloons.Set aside, wrapped in wax paper, in a sealed Tupperware until ready to use.

BirriaMarinade the meat for a few hours.
Braise:Heat oil in a large pot and add the bay leaves and crushed seeds. Allow the aroma to arise then add in the steak.Cook on high until the meat takes on some colour.Finally, add in the garlic, sauces, pepper and tomatoes.Drop heat to lowest, partially cover the pot and allow to simmer until very, very tender. Depending on the cut of steak, this will take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3-4 hours. Don't add any water unless necessary.Taste and adjust seasoning/acid. If you feel it is too sour, add a pinch of sugar or bicarb.Now shred the meat and remove from the pot into a bowl.(Leave the sauce and rendered fat/oil in the pot as you will use it to baste the tacos when toasting.)

AssemblyLay out all your tortillas on a clean surface. Add in the shredded steak and a nice amount of cheese.Toast in a medium hot tawa, brushing with the leftover steak sauce. You can do a few at a time. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining tacos. (You can keep them all warm on a tray in a 100°c oven, if desired.)Do not allow the pan to get too much stuff burnt onto it- periodically wipe away excess sauce with a lightly wet cloth/paper towel.
Serve immediately with the vinegar onion and lettuce - allow people to open up and fill as they please. In this way, the salad stays lovely and crisp. You can also serve whatever other salad stuff you like: jalapenos, avocado, tomatoes, peppers. Drained beans would also be really nice (red kidney beans).
We served with a small portion of french fries- but, it doesn't really need anything.Enjoy!

POSTED ON

20 Jul 2025

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