Chef Fig’s Birria Quesadilla Tacos with Melinda’s Salsa Cinco
Chef Fig’s Birria Quesadilla Tacos with Melinda’s Salsa Cinco
Chef Fig
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I’m all about authentic tacos and Mexican cuisine, and this Birria recipe is one of my all-time favorites. Using Melinda’s Salsa Cinco—a perfect blend of Chipotle Ketchup, Green Sauce, Mexicana, Fire Roasted Garlic, and Habanero—paired with dried chiles and aromatics, I create a marinade that’s pure magic. The meat is slow-cooked until tender, then shredded and stuffed into quesadilla tacos fried on the plancha with Oaxaca cheese, cilantro, and onions. The result? Ooey gooey, crispy tacos that take a dip in a savory consommé before heading straight into your mouth. Trust me, you’ve got to make these—they’re life-changing. My family went absolutely nuts for them!
Ingredients
- 4 pounds beef chuck
- 2 lbs beef short ribs
- 3 Roma tomatoes, cored
- 3 tomatillos, cored
- 1 large white onion, roughly sectioned
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 dried guajillo chilies
- 3 dried ancho chilies
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp coriander seed
- 1 Mexican Ceylon cinnamon stick
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ginger
- 4 cups beef broth plus water to cover
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp honey
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Olive oil for searing
-
¼ cup Melinda’s
Green Sauce
-
1 tbsp
Melinda’s Ghost Steak Sauce
-
2 tbsp
Melinda’s Chipotle Ketchup
-
1 tbsp
Melinda’s Mexicana
-
1 tsp
Melinda’s Fire Roasted Habanero and Garlic
- Oaxaca cheese, shredded
- Corn tortillas
- Reserved skimmed fat
- 1 finely diced white onion
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 medium lime, sliced
Salsa Cinco Blend:
For the Tacos:
Garnish:
Directions
Prepare the Meat:
Cut the beef chuck into 4-inch chunks.
Trim the silver skin off the beef short ribs.
Season the beef with kosher salt and black pepper.
Prep the Chiles:
Snip off the stems of the dried chiles and remove the seeds.
Make the Salsa Cinco:
In a small measuring cup, combine ¼ cup of Melinda’s Green Sauce, 1 tbsp Melinda’s Ghost Steak Sauce, 2 tbsp Melinda’s Chipotle Ketchup, 1 tbsp Melinda’s Mexicana, and 1 tsp Melinda’s Fire Roasted Habanero and Garlic. Stir to combine.
Make the Sauce:
Heat olive oil in a cast iron or stainless saucepan over medium heat.
Add guajillo chiles and sauté for about 30 seconds to a minute, until they soften. Transfer to a small pot of boiling water for 10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, tomatillos, onions, and garlic to the cast iron pan and cook until charred.
Add the chiles and a cup of the boiling chile water to a blender. Add 1 cup of beef broth, the charred onions, tomatoes, and garlic, and the Melinda’s Salsa Cinco blend. Then add cumin, coriander, ginger, oregano, thyme, clove, and cinnamon stick. Blend until smooth. Strain through a coarse strainer.
Cook the Birria:
In a large Dutch oven, add olive oil and sear the meat in batches on all sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Add all the seared meat back into the Dutch oven.
Pour the contents of the blender and the remaining beef stock into the pot. Add vinegar, bay leaves, and honey. If the liquid doesn’t cover the meat, add water until covered.
Bring to a boil, cover, and place in a 350°F oven for 3 hours. Alternatively, simmer on the stove.
Remove the meat, shred, and set aside.
Skim the fat off the top and reserve it for frying tortillas. Reserve the remaining liquid as a consommé. Add some consommé back to the shredded meat to keep it moist.
Make the Tacos:
Heat a flat surface (griddle or large cast iron pan) to medium-high heat. Dip a tortilla in the reserved fat, shake off any excess, and place it on the flat top.
Add cheese, meat, more cheese, and top with cilantro and onion. Fold the tortilla over and flip. Continue frying until the cheese melts and the tortilla gets crispy.
Serve:
Serve the tacos with a wedge of lime and a small bowl of the beef consommé for dipping.