Bring the heart of Mexico to your dinner table with quesabirria. It's a stunning medley of spices, melt-in-your-mouth beef, and oozy cheese, all wrapped in a crispy tortilla!
4cupsshredded Oaxaca cheeseor Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
In a medium-sized pot, bring water to a boil. Add dried chiles and submerge them in the hot water. Let them sit for 15-20 minutes until they have softened. After that, drain the chiles, remove the stems, and scrape out the seeds.
Transfer the softened peppers to a blender or food processor. Add the chipotle peppers, garlic, crushed tomatoes, vinegar, oregano, paprika, cumin, allspice, and cinnamon. Process the mixture until it's smooth.
Over medium-high heat, warm a large, oven-safe Dutch oven pot. Add vegetable oil to the pot. Season the chuck roast with salt and sear it on all sides until browned. Remove the roast and set it aside.
In the same pot, sauté diced onions for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the chili paste mixture and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Add the beef broth to the pot and stir to combine. Return the seared roast to the pot, submerging it in the liquid. Cover the pot and transfer it to the preheated oven. Roast the meat until it is tender and can be easily shredded, which should take about 3 hours.
Remove the roast from the liquid and shred it. Spoon some of the liquid into individual serving bowls for dipping, but keep the meat and the remaining liquid separate.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip a tortilla into the liquid until it is fully submerged, then immediately place it in the hot skillet. Toast it for 1-2 minutes until browned, then flip it over. Put a bit of cheese, some shredded meat, and a generous pinch of onion and cilantro on half of the toasted tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half to cover the filling. Continue toasting until the cheese is melted, ensuring both sides are toasted. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas.
Serve the quesabirrias immediately while hot, accompanied by the dipping liquid.