Birria Texas Chili
Birria Meets Texas Chili: on Sundays at The Oasis, global headquarters of the Galley of the Sun, we hold what we call “Sunday Family Dinner” with 10-20 our our closest friends. We have served Meaty Texas Chili, which was a big hit, Pork Texas Chili, which was also a winner. Is there any doubt that mixing Texas Chili with Birria will not have the same results?
Things to know:
What is birria?
Birria is a traditional Mexican stew, originally from Jalisco, made from marinated meat (traditionally goat, but often beef, lamb, or pork) slow-cooked in a rich, chili-based broth (consomé) until tender. It’s served as a soup or stew, but has gained massive popularity in the U.S. as tacos, where tortillas are dipped in the consommé, filled with the shredded meat and cheese (quesabirria), and crisped before serving with the broth for dipping
How is Texas Chili made?
Texas chili is a “no-bean” chili, made by slowly simmering tender chunks of beef with a rich sauce derived from rehydrated and puréed dried chiles, such as ancho and guajillo (we HIGHLY recommend mulatto chiles be part of the mix!), along with spices, onions, and garlic. The chili is thickened with masa harina (corn flour) and develops a deep, complex flavor as it simmers for several hours until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens into a gravy-like consistency.
When was Texas chili first made?
As with most food items, the origins of Texas chili is debated. Most agree that Texas chili originated in San Antonio in the mid 1860’s and was served through “Chili Queens” cooking stands. The meal was popular on cattle drives as “chili bricks” were taken on the road. The “chili bricks” were made by pounding together dried beef, spices and chilies into dense blocks which were rehydrated and boiled at campfires.
What variations of Texas chili are there?
The most common is beef chili which contains quality beef and dried chili peppers. Chili con carne is basically beef Texas chili with tomatoes and other ingredients producing a richer flavor. A vegetarian version replaces the meat with veggies and beans. Then of course is Pork Texas Chili! Check out our episode on that one!
Ingredients:
6 pounds beef short ribs
4 T beef tallow
2 marrow bones
2 bottles Cholula Birria Cooking and Simmer Sauce
2 pounds coarse ground beef, 80/20 or chuck also called chili grind
2 pounds ground sausage
2 ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
4 mulatto chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 T bacon grease
2 sweet onions, finely diced
1 cup fire roasted Hatch Green Chiles, finely diced
vegetable oil as needed
1/4 cup garlic, minced
2 T ground cumin
1 T smoked paprika
1 T Spiceology & Hell’s Kitchen – Vampire Killer – Garlic Parmesan Spice Blend
1 T Mexican oregano
2 t salt
2 t black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cans Rotel, Fire Roasted
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups beef stock
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups chipotle stock
2 (12-ounce) bottle amber ale beer
1/4 cup masa
Toppings:
cheddar cheese shredded
sour cream
red onions chopped
jalapeno sliced
kidney beans
Make Birria:
1. The day before, in a large cast iron skillet on medium heat, melt the tallow, then add the sort ribs and brown on all sides.
2. Remove the short ribs and add them to a gallon sized vacuum seal bag (or Freezer Ziplock bag). I added 3 pounds to each bag.
3. Add a marrow bone and 1 bottle of Cholula Birria Sauce to each bag. Shake the bag to ensure the short ribs are totally covered.
4. Seal the bags, then add to a Sous Vide bath at 185F for 24 hours.
Make the chili:
5. The next day, remove the short ribs from the bag. Reserve the sauce. Discard the short ribs bones and the marrow bone. Shred the meat and set aside.
6. Melt the bacon grease in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Toast the chiles until they puff up and become fragrant, then transfer to a blender with just enough boiling hot water to cover them. Set aside.
7. In the same skillet, brown the ground beef and ground sausage in batches, breaking them up as best you can. Transfer the cooked meat to a paper towel lined baking sheet (unless you think you have a plate large enough to contain 4 pounds of meat!), leaving a half cup of the juices behind.
8. Add the onions to the skillet and cook for 6-8 minutes until they are translucent, stir in the fire roasted Hatch green chiles, then remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
9. Blend the toasted dried chiles/water mixture in the blender until smooth.
10. In a large stockpot on medium high heat, add your browned meat, onions/Hatch green chiles and blended chile paste. Stir to combine.
11. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Once the garlic becomes fragrant, add all of your spices and bay leaves, then stir to mix.
12. Add the 2 cans of Rotel, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and stir to combine.
13. Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine and bring your chili to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring every 10 minutes or so and allow for simmer for 2 hours.
14. Serve with your favorite toppings and ENJOY!
Equipment used:
Lodge 13.25” Cast Iron Skillet
HOMICHEF LARGE STOCK POT 24 Quart With Lid
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