San Antonio Spurs: Beef Birria
The #NBAXmas Cookbook offers an interactive and festive experience where NBA Fans can try recipes from all 30 teams’ home markets.
Each team was challenged to showcase a recipe that best represents their region’s most iconic culinary food. This recipe ranges from a favorite snack, dish or dessert that is unique to the team and fanbase.
Find the origin of each recipe and everything you need to create it below.
Beef Birria
This distinctive main course was selected because of its deep connection to the region and the part played by San Antonio in making the dish popular. Beef Birria tacos, stewed in the core of San Antonio, made their way north from Jalisco, Mexico, and have gained domestic popularity over the past five years.
Birria is a meat stew that is soaked in a blend of chiles and spices, and includes tortillas stuffed with the stew’s succulent meat. These tortillas are subsequently submerged in the thin layer of fat that rises to the top of the birria. They are then filled with meat and positioned on a griddle to achieve a crispy outer layer.
Birria tacos come with cilantro and onions on top, and the consommé – the broth from the stew – is served on the side.
Ingredients
| BEEF |
| 5 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and deseeded |
| 5 dried New Mexico chiles, stemmed and deseeded |
| 4 dried chile de arbol, stemmed and deseeded |
| 2 cans of whole peeled tomatoes |
| 2 white onion, quartered |
| 8 cloves garlic |
| 6 cups beef broth |
| 1 tbsp. vegetable oil |
| 4 lbs. chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes |
| 1 1/2 lbs. beef shank |
| Kosher salt |
| freshly ground black pepper |
| 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar |
| 1 tbsp. ground coriander |
| 1 tbsp. ground cumin |
| 2 tsp. dried oregano |
| 2 cinnamon sticks |
| 2 dried bay leaves |
| TACOS |
| 30 corn tortillas |
| 4 cups shredded mozzarella |
| 1 cup finely diced onion |
| 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro |
| 6 limes, cut into wedges |
Directions:
BEEF:
- Combine the ancho chiles, New Mexico chiles, chiles de arbol tomatoes, onion, garlic, beef broth and beef shank in a pot.
- Boil and then allow it to simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- As you wait, season the chuck roll with salt and pepper and cube it.
- Pour oil into a Dutch Oven and heat it on medium to high. Sear the beef in batches to ensure all sides are browned.
- Once done, move it to a plate or a holding area.
- Debone the tomato and chili mixture, then smooth it out by blending with an immersion blender.
- Pour the blended sauce into the Dutch Oven.
- Put the meat back into the Dutch Oven along with any juices that have collected on the plate.
- Pour in the apple cider vinegar, then add coriander, cumin, and dried oregano. Wrap the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves in a cheesecloth and secure with chef string before adding them.
- Stir the mixture until it reaches a simmer, then cover it with a lid and allow the beef to cook until it becomes tender, which should take approximately 3 hours.
- Once the beef becomes tender, discard the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Following this, remove the beef and shred it.
- Filter the leftover liquid to create a consommé dipping sauce.
- After settling, remove the oil from the top of the consommé and keep it aside.
TACOS:
- To construct the tacos, immerse three 6-inch corn tortillas in the consommé’s oil and position them on a griddle set to medium-high heat.
- Turn over the tortillas and distribute 2 oz. of mozzarella cheese on each one.
- When the cheese begins to melt, incorporate 2 oz. of beef birria and then fold it in half to seal it.
- Griddle the tacos until they’re crisp.
- Transfer to a plate and serve accompanied by lime wedges, diced onions, cilantro, and a small cup of consommé for dipping.
