30-minute Quesabirria Tacos Recipe

30-minute Quesabirria Tacos Recipe

Birria is a slow-cooked stewed meat that originates from Jalisco, Mexico. The stewed birria meat makes an excellent taco filling, with birria tacos frequently fried in the stew's braising liquid and served with a bowl consomme on the side for dipping. In the past few years, birria tacos and the quesabirria variation, which subs a cheese-stuffed corn quesadilla in place of the standard taco shell have exploded in popularity in the US. This recipe takes a shortcut with ready-to-go pulled pork for a fast and easy homemade quesabirria perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.

Makes 6 tacos

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons cooking oil
• 12 oz. Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Pulled Pork 
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 cup Don Froylan Oaxacan cheese, grated
• 3 cups beef or vegetable stock or consomme
• one onion, chopped
• 8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup dried red chile powder
• 7 oz. jar chiles in adobo sauce or tomato paste
• 1.5 Tablespoons dried cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• salt to taste
• 2 limes

Directions

Make a quick birria:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 Tablespoons cooking oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the chopped onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Stir frequently.
3. Add the garlic, chile powder, cumin, oregano, and cinammon and stir for about 1 minute, until the spices become fragrant and coat the onions. Watch that it does not begin to burn onto the bottom of the pan.
4. Quickly add the beef stock and stir, scraping up any bits that are sticking to the bottom. 
5. Add tomato paste or chiles in adobo, pork, and bay leaf and salt and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat and simmer until the pork is heated through and the liquid has reduced by 1/3. Add the juice of one lime.
   Taste and adjust for salt and other spices.
7. Remove bay leaf and strain the broth off from the meat, reserving the meat and broth separately for later. Squeeze the meat with the back of the spoon if necessary to separate it from the broth.

Assemble and serve tacos:

1. In a medium skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of cooking oil over medium-high heat.
2. Place a tortilla in the heated oil. Immediately sprinkle 1/6 of the cheese over the tortilla and top with a second tortilla to make a quesadilla. Press down and toast for approximately 1 minute.
3. Flip quesadilla over and toast an additional minute on the other side. Set aside.
4. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and cheese until you have 6 quesadillas.
5. Dip a pre-fried quesadilla into the reserved broth and place back into the hot pan. Add more oil if necessary, or a little broth into the pan.
6. Spoon 2 oz. of marinated pork onto one half of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla over onto itself to form a semi-circle shape. Toast for 1-2 minutes.
7. Flip tortilla over and toast the other side for 1-2 minutes until both sides are cripsy.
8. Repeat with remaining quesadillas.
9. Serve with chopped onion, cilantro, lime wedges, guacamole, and most important: a cup of the reserved hot broth for dipping.