Claudette Zepeda: Birria! Birria! Birria!

A combination of two meats creates the best balance of tender texture (from the chuck roast) and succulence (from the short ribs). This birria gets it's deeply slow-cooked flavor from the adobo sauce, made with a mixture of dried chiles, onion, garlic, and spices.

Serves:10
Active Time:40 mins
Total Time:10 hrs

Adobo:

• 6 guajillo干气les, stemmed and seeded
• 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 4 dried cascabel chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 1 large white onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
• 10 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped, peeled fresh ginger
• 8 cups water, divided
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 6 thyme sprigs
• 3 dried bay leaves

Birria:

• 1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, about 2 ¼ inches thick
• 2 pounds English-cut-bone-in beef short ribs (about 3 ribs)
• 2 tablespoons plus ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 8 cups water

1. Make the adobo: Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the chiles to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chiles to a large saucepan; add the onion, garlic, ginger, and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chiles are softened, about 8 minutes. Drain the chile mixture; discard cooking liquid.
   
2. Transfer the chile mixture to a blender, and add the vinegar, salt, black pepper, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, thyme, bay leaves, and remaining 2 cups water. Secure the lid on the blender, and remove the center piece from the lid to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over the opening. Process the chile mixture until smooth, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a large nonreactive bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. If not using right away, cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.
   
3. Make the birria: Sprinkle the chuck roast and short ribs all over with 2 tablespoons of salt. Add the roast and ribs to the adobo; toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
   
4. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Transfer the adobo mixture to a large (9 ½-quart) Dutch oven; add 8 cups of water. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, over medium, stirring occasionally. Cover and bake until the meat is fork-tender, about 4 hours.
   
5. Remove the chuck roast and short ribs from the braising broth, and transfer to a large bowl; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Heat the broth in Dutch oven over medium heat, and cook uncovered, skimming off fat as needed, until reduced to about 8 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Season the broth with salt to taste. Shred the meat; discard bones. Toss the meat with 1 ½ cups of the broth.

The filling for these baos may be unexpected, but Birria, a chile-rich savory shredded beef, is a delicious match for the chewy and slightly sweet dough. If you are lucky enough to come across some cilantro blossoms at the farmers market, pick some up. They add a serious garnish upgrade to the baos. Be sure to line the bottom of your steamer with parchment paper so the bao dough sticks to the paper and not the steamer.

Serves:8
Active Time:1 hr
Total Time:2 hrs

***
Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups (340 grams) pastry flour or all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon dry active yeast
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• ½ cup warm milk (110°F to 115°F)
• ⅓ cup warm water (110°F to 115°F)
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups drained Birria, warmed
• Thinly sliced red onion, thinly sliced chiles, thinly sliced avocado, cilantro sprigs, and lime wedges, for garnish

1. In a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, add the flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder, then oil. With the mixer on low speed, gradually mix in the milk then the water and salt, mixing just until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is very soft and elastic, but does not stick to your fingers or the mixing bowl, 4 to 5 minutes.
   
2. Lightly grease a medium bowl. On a work surface, form the dough into a smooth round ball. Transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rest in a warm, draft-free place for 30 minutes.
   
3. Line a bamboo steamer with a parchment paper round. Set another parchment paper round nearby. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thick. Using a 3 ½ inch round biscuit cutter, cut out 10 rounds. Fold the rounds over, forming half moons (do not press together). Place 5 bao buns in the steamer, spacing apart, and cover with the lid. Place the remaining 5 baos on the other parchment paper round and cover with an inverted bowl. Let the bao buns rest for 30 minutes.
   
4. Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in a wok or a large skillet. Place the bamboo steamer on top and steam the bao buns until the bread is cooked, about 12 minutes. Repeat with the remaining bao buns, adding more water to the wok if needed. When the bao buns are cool enough to handle, fill with the warm birria and garnish with onion, chiles, avocado, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

这也许听起来疯狂添加辣牛肉汤有限公司cktail, but trust us— this drink is fantastic. Think of it as a new version of a Michelada. Be sure to remove all of the fat from the top of the birria broth before adding it to the cocktail shaker to prevent it from forming a layer on the top of the cocktail.

Serves:2
Active Time:10 mins
Total Time:10 mins

• 1 orange wedge
• Chili limon (such as Tajin)
• 1 cup birria broth, skimmed of all fat, strained
• 2 ounces fresh lime juice
• 1 ounce fresh orange juice
• 1 ounce tequila blanco (such as Fortaleza)
• Hot sauch (such as Valentina or Tapatio), to taste
• Salsa Maggi (or Worcestershire sauce), to taste
• Red wine vinegar or other fruity vinegar, to taste
• Cold beer (such as Pacifico, or a saison or sour), for topping off
• 2 lime wedges, for garnishing

1. Place a thin layer of the chili limon on a small plate. Run the orange wedge around the rim of 2 pint glasses, then dip the rims of the glasses in the chili limon to coat. In a cocktail shaker, add the birria broth, lime juice, orange juice, and tequila. Add hot sauce, Salsa Maggi, and vinegar to taste. Fill the cocktail shaker with ice and carefully secure the lid.
   
2. Shake the contents vigorously for at least 30 seconds. Strain the contents of the shaker into the glasses, dividing equally between them. Top off with the beer and stir to blend with a cocktail spoon. Garnish with the lime wedges.