Authentic birria

Ingredients

Amount	Ingredient
2.8kg	Beef chuck roastin large 10 cm chunks
0.7tbsp	Coarse salt
0.7tbsp	Black pepper
2.1tbsp	Olive oil
17	Guajillo chilliesrinsed, stemmed and seeded
6.9	Ancho chilliesrinsed, stemmed and seeded
6.9	Árbol chilliesrinsed and stemmed
2.8	Roma tomatoeslarge
0.7	Yellow onionmedium
1.4	Mexican cinnamon stick10 cm long
4.1	Bay leaves
0.7tsp	Black peppercornswhole
	Wateras needed
653ml	Beef broth
83ml	Distilled white vinegar
6.9cloves	Garlic
1.4tsp	Ground cumin
1.4tsp	Dried Mexican oregano
0.7tsp	Ground cloves

Season the meat generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Sear the meat in 2 batches until browned on all sides. Take the pot off the heat, put all the seared meat back into the pot, and set it aside.
While the meat sears, put the guajillo, ancho, and árbol chillies, the tomatoes, onion, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a medium pot. Cover completely with water and bring to the boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
Move the softened chillies and all the other ingredients to a large blender with a slotted spoon.
Add 240 ml of the chilli cooking water, the beef broth, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, and cloves. Blend on high for a few minutes until completely smooth. (Blend in 2 batches if your blender is not big enough.)
Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into the pot with the seared meat. Discard the solids that are left in the sieve.
Stir the meat and the chilli sauce together and bring to the boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 3 to 3½ hours, until the meat is fall-apart tender.
Move the meat to a large bowl and shred it with 2 forks. Put the meat back into the consommé.
To serve: serve as a stew in bowls with diced onion and chopped coriander, or as tacos in corn tortillas with shredded Oaxaca cheese, coriander, and diced onion.