Chicken Birria Tacos

Recently I celebrated a birthday. Not going to go into too much detail except to say Hubby and Kiddo decided it wasn’t enought to have a single night out, but rather an entire weekend. Wow.

The first night out was at an Italian joint not far from the house. It’s in a strip mall, with most of the surrounding businesses closed. Just a part of the changing times, I guess. More and more brick stores are failing. By the look of the surrounding area, and even this restaurant itself, you might not realize just what a gem awaits inside. The chef is amazing. Both Hubby and I had seafood dishes that were to die for. When I eat out, the one thing I look for is an experience I cannot recreate at home. The appetizers, the wine, the main entree and dessert were all exceptional.

So what does this have to do with Birria Tacos? The next night, my guys took me out yet again to celebrate getting old at our favorite neighborhood Mexican cantina. It was a lot of fun. The staff sang happy birthday, and even sent over a shot of Patron to celebrate. The night was perfect except for one thing. When it comes to Mexican dinners, mine are just as delicious, if not better than what you’ll find in a restaurant. So why eat out? Honestly, because I can enjoy tequila without thinking about the dishes later. That, and the deep fried ice cream.

Oh, and in case you were wondering – Birria is a Mexican dish from the state of Jalisco. Traditionally, it is serves as a stew or soup, made from goat meat. The goat meat is marinated in the Birria Adobo to make it more palatable. So this Chicken Birria Taco is anything but traditional, although many of the aspects of the adobo sauce remain. Another interesting tidbit – according to legend, the first Birria was created during the eruption of a volcano. A shepherd was forced to abandon his goats in a cave, where they were cooked tender by steam. Yeah, not sure how the sauce was invented. Oh, and Birria is a derogatory term meaning worthless, since the Spanish Conquistadors looked down on goat meat, steamed by a volcano or otherwise.

Today is Taco Tuesday. Or as we like to call it, Tijuana Tuesday. As my guys and I sat down to this amazing although not traditional meal, they agreed, I can outcook the best of Mexican restaurants. Enjoy!

Chicken Birria Tacos
Birria Sauce
2 dried Guajillo Chilies
2 dried Ancho Chilies
2 dried Jalapeno Peppers
1 cup Water
1/2 Red Onion, diced
1/2 Yellow Onion, diced
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
2 teaspoons Cumin
1 teaspoon Coriander
1 teaspoon Black Pepper Corns
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Hot Smoked Paprika
1-1/2 teaspoon Chipotle Seasoning
1-1/2 tablespoon Taco Seasoning
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper or to taste
1 (14.5 oz) can Diced Tomatoes
1 shot Tequila, optional

Stem dried chili peppers. Place peppers in a bowl. Bring water to a boil. Pour water over the dried peppers. Soak peppers until tender, about 30 minutes.

Peel and dice the onions, set aside. Peel and mince the garlic, set aside.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat, add onions and coon until tender, about 8 minutes. Add minced garlic and spices. Cook until fragrant, about a minute.

Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes, lightly smashing the tomatoes as they cook. Add the soaked chili peppers to the sauce, let simmer for a few minutes longer.

Working in batches, puree sauce in a blender. Add enough chili water to create a smooth sauce without being too thin. Set aside.

Add a shot of tequila to the final sauce, whisk to blend. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Wipe the skillet clean to use for the chicken.

---

Note: The pictures all show 2 chicken quarters because the recipe called for 2 chicken quarters. However; the minute I began to pull the meat from the bones, it was obvious that 2 quarters wasn’t going to yeild filling for 12 tacos. Luckly, we had another quarter, and I cooked it in the pressure cooker before continuing. Saved the day, as 3 quarters were just enough. I’ve since adjusted the recipe.

Chicken Filling
3 Chicken Quarters
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
2 tablespoon Birria Sauce
2 cups Chicken Stock
2 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
1 tablespoon Vinegar

Season chicken quarters with salt and pepper, set aside.

Heat oil in the skillet used to make the sauce. Add seasoned chicken, cook until the skin is golden brown, about 8 minutes per side. Remove chicken from the skillet, set aside.

To the now empty skillet, add Birria Sauce, chicken stock, oregano, vinegar and bay leaf. Stir to blend. Return chicken to the skillet, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and let cook until chicken is falling off the bone, about 45 minutes to an hour.

Remove chicken from the skillet, place on a cutting board and let cool. Skim oil from the top of the pan, place in a small bowl to add to the oil when frying the tortillas for extra flavor. Pour remaining liquid in a bowl and set aside.

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin. Pull meat from the bones, shred and return to the skillet. Add enough cooking liquid to keep chicken moist. Keep warm.

---

Tacos
1/4 Red Onion
1/2 cup Cilantro
1 Lime
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
12 Taco Size Corn Tortillas
3/4 cup Pepper Jack Cheese
1 Avocado, optional

Dice onions, snip cilantro and cut lime into wedges. Set aside.

Add vegetable oil to the fat that was drained from the chicken. Whisk to blend. Pour about a tablespoon of the oil mixture onto a flat griddle or tortilla pan. Heat over medium to medium-low heat.

Working in batches, add the tortillas to the pan to warm. Flip, fill have of each tortilla with the chicken Birria filling and 2 tablespoons of cheese. Fold tortilla over to form a taco, press down to adhere to the melting cheese. Carefully flip, continue to cook until the shell is a soft-crisp. Transfer to a baking sheet, hold in a warm oven until all the tacos are made.

If necessary, warm the Birria Sauce. Place on the rimmed baking sheet, surrounded by tacos. Serve with the onions, cilantro, and lime wedges for garnish. If desired, dice an avocado just before serving.

Mexican Rice and Beans
1-1/2 cups Chicken Stock
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Chilies
Taco Seasoning to taste
1/2 cup Refried Beans
1-1/2 cups Minute Rice

In a large saucepot, bring chicken stock, tomatoes, taco seasoning and refried beans to a boil. Stir in rice, cover, reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let stand for another 15 minutes to absorb the liquid.

Serve alongside the tacos.

---

Praise the Lord, O my soul.