Birria found me before I knew what I was looking for.
The first time I had it, it completely blew my mind.
Mexico City. Centre of town. Lost, but in the good way, with a friend. The kind of lost where the city decides for you where you’ll end up. I had been explicitly warned not to eat at taco trucks. You know… Moctezuma’s revenge, always lurking, especially when people at home hear you’re in CDMX.
So we played it safe.
Or so we thought.
We sat down in a small, unknown restaurant. No plan. No expectations. Just hunger. Tacos? Quesadillas? We didn’t really know what we wanted. I saw quesabirria on the menu and asked what it actually was.
No explanation.
Instead, a quesabirria taco appeared in my hand.
And one in my friend’s.
That was all it took.
We ordered four more per person. Then more. Different combinations. With the broth. Without. Extra broth. Pickles. Whatever the place offered, we tried it. Grease on the fingers, steam in the face, silence at the table except for the occasional “holy shit”.
Victoria beers kept coming. Time slowed down.
When we finally asked for the bill, we looked at each other and laughed. A couple hundred pesos. Full stomachs. A story richer. And a new benchmark for what food can do to you when you let it surprise you.
Then we stepped back outside and carried on, deeper into the belly of the monster city that is CDMX.
Some dishes stay with you.
This one followed me all the way home.
We are making this is the Style of Zoervleisj as this is what it reminded me off.
Birria
Equipment
- 1 Large non‑reactive container (glass or food‑safe plastic) for marinating
- 1 Fine sieve or colander
- 1 Blender or immersion blender
- 1 Heavy‑bottomed pot or Dutch oven with lid
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Wooden spoon or spatula
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Measuring jug
- 1 Ladle
Ingredients
- 1 kg picaña left whole or cut into 2–3 large pieces
Zoervleisj-Style Marinade
- 500 ml water
- 500 ml white vinegar
- 3 white onions sliced
- 1 morita chile deseeded
Birria Base
- Marinade from above, onions strained and reserved
- 2 dried guajillo chiles deseeded
- 3 –4 ripe tomatoes or 1 × 400 g can tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 cloves
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano preferably Mexican
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt to taste
- Neutral oil or beef fat for browning
Optional (to taste)
- Extra water or light stock for adjusting broth
- Black pepper
Instructions
Marinate the Meat
- Combine water, vinegar, sliced onions, and morita chile in a non‑reactive container.
- Submerge the picaña fully in the marinade.
- Cover and marinate for at least 12 hours, preferably 24 hours, refrigerated.
Prepare the Birria Sauce
- Remove meat from the marinade and pat completely dry. Reserve the marinade.
- Strain the onions from the marinade and set them aside.
- Soak the guajillo chiles in hot water for 5 minutes until soft.
- Blend soaked guajillos, tomatoes, garlic, cloves, cumin, oregano, and a ladle of the soaking water into a smooth sauce.
Brown the Meat
- Heat oil or beef fat in a heavy pot or Dutch oven.
- Season the picaña lightly with salt.
- Brown the meat deeply on all sides to develop a strong Maillard reaction.
- Remove meat and set aside.
Build the Stew
- In the same pot, sauté the reserved marinated onions until soft and lightly caramelized.
- Deglaze the pot with the reserved marinade, scraping up all browned bits.
- Add the blended birria sauce and bay leaf.
- Return the browned meat (including any resting juices) to the pot.
- Bring to a gentle simmer.
Slow Cook
- Cover and cook on very low heat for 3–4 hours, until the meat is deeply tender.
- Turn the meat once or twice during cooking.
- Adjust liquid with water or light stock if the broth becomes too intense or thick.
Rest & Finish
- Allow the birria to rest at least 30 minutes before serving.
- For best results, cool overnight in the fridge and reheat gently the next day.
- Shred or slice the picaña and return it to the broth.
- Season with salt to taste.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve as classic birria with broth on the side
- Use the meat for tacos, quesabirria, or bitterballen filling
- Skim and reserve fat for frying tortillas
Video
Notes
- The vinegar marinade adds brightness and depth, inspired by traditional Limburg Zoervleisj.
- This birria is intentionally rich and concentrated; dilution after cooking is encouraged rather than during.
- Morita provides smokiness without overwhelming heat.
- This was too popular in my house yet we had a plenty of broth left, so I actually got a second piece of picaña the day after added hot water to the broth, browned my new picaña and added my it for another 2 hours of stewing.
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