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
The choice of this distinctive main course was influenced by its strong local ties and the part San Antonio played in making the dish famous. Beef Birria tacos, which are stewed in San Antonio, originated from Jalisco, Mexico, and have gained popularity across the country in the past five years.
Birria is a meat stew that is soaked in a blend of chiles and spices, with the stew’s succulent meat used to stuff tortillas. These tortillas are subsequently dipped in the thin layer of fat that rises to the birria’s surface. After filling the tortillas with meat, they are placed on a griddle to acquire a crispy outer layer.
Birria tacos come with a side of consommé, which is the broth from the stew, and are garnished with cilantro and onions.
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.
- Allow it to reach boiling point and then let it simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- While waiting, season the chuck roll with salt and pepper and cut it into cubes.
- Pour oil into a Dutch Oven and heat it on medium to high. Then, sear the beef in batches, ensuring all sides of the meat are browned.
- Once completed, move it to a plate or holding area.
- Debone the tomato and chili mixture, then use an immersion blender to puree it until it achieves a smooth texture.
- Pour the blended sauce into the Dutch Oven.
- Put the meat and any juices from the plate back into the Dutch Oven.
- Combine the apple cider vinegar, coriander, cumin, and dried oregano. Place the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves in a cheesecloth and secure it with chef string before adding to the mixture.
- Stir the mixture and let it simmer. After that, secure the lid and allow the beef to cook until it becomes tender, which should take approximately 3 hours.
- After the beef becomes tender, take out the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves and throw them away. Then, remove the beef and shred it.
- Filter the leftover liquid to create a consommé dipping sauce.
- After it has settled, remove the oil from the top of the consommé and put it aside.
TACOS:
- To construct the tacos, immerse three 6-inch corn tortillas in the consommé oil and place them on a griddle heated to medium-high.
- Turn the tortillas over and sprinkle each one with 2 oz. of mozzarella cheese.
- When the cheese begins to melt, incorporate 2 oz. of beef birria, then fold it in half to seal.
- Griddle the tacos until they’re crisp.
- Transfer to a plate and serve alongside lime wedges, diced onions, cilantro, and a small cup of consommé for dipping.
