There’s nothing like a big bowl of birria with warm consommé. But birria tacos — and specifically quesatacos? Well, there’s a reason I can’t stop making them. Quesatacos (also known as quesabirria) are a cross between a taco and a quesadilla, filled with melty cheese and the delicious shredded beef.

Restaurants, street carts and food trucks throughout Mexico and the United States are known as birrierias, and they each claim to have their own secret ingredient that makes their recipe the best.

My secret is simply to use the freshest ingredients available: ripe tomatoes, soft chile pods (not ones that are old and cracking), and fresh herbs and spices.

What is birria?

Birria is a savory Mexican stew that originated in Jalisco. Although it’s traditionally prepared with goat or sheep, the beef version has gained popularity since goat isn’t as readily available. (I’ve tried birria prepared with goat and it’s delicious, but I have to say, I prefer the beef version.) The surrounding states of Zacatecas and Colima have their own unique versions of birria as well.

A few years back on a trip to Texas, I made it my mission to try as many kinds of birria tacos as I could, and I had to pace myself because there were so many restaurants to choose from.

Many places are getting creative and adding the braised beef to burritos, flautas, empanadas, ramen and pizza, too.

Key ingredients

Beef chuck roast: Cut 3 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast into 12 pieces.

Dried chiles: Use a combination of dried guajillo chiles and ancho chiles.

Aromatics: White onion, ginger and garlic are the aromatics that are cooked with the dried chiles and tomatoes.

Tomatoes: Use two medium plum or Roma tomatoes.

Apple cider vinegar: You’ll blend the cooked aromatics with apple cider vinegar and lots of dried spices to create a flavorful sauce.

Spices: A mixture of black peppercorns, dried Mexican oregano, cumin seeds, ground cinnamon and ground cloves flavor the sauce.

Beef broth: You’ll need 5 cups of beef broth for the consommé.

Ways to serve IT

Once the cook time is up and you shred the beef, you have two options for serving. Either way you do it, a simple garnish of cilantro, onion, lime and a spicy salsa is a must.

Serve the birria in a bowl with plenty of consommé and a side of warm corn tortillas.

You can also serve the birria as tacos or quesatacos with the consommé on the side. To go the taco route, you’ll dip tortillas in the warm consommé, fill them with cheese (don’t be skimpy) and shredded beef, and crisp them on the stovetop until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are browned and crispy.

More ways to cook birria

Stovetop pressure cooking: If using a stovetop pressure cooker, cook the chiles and sear the beef in the cooker over medium-high heat. When ready to pressure cook, lock the lid on and place over high heat. In about 10 minutes, the pressure cooker will come up to high pressure. Reduce the heat to below medium and pressure cook for 40 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.

Slow cooker: Cook the chile sauce and sear the beef in a Dutch oven, then transfer to a slow cooker. Use some of the beef broth to deglaze the browned bits from the pan, and add that to the slow cooker, too. Proceed with the recipe and cook on the low setting for 6 to 8 hours.

Dutch oven cooking: Sear and braise in a covered Dutch oven for 4 hours over medium heat.