Nov 6, 2005

Birria - Mexican Style Pot Roast

Birria (pronounced "vee-dee-a") is one of the foods I always remember from childhood that would make my mouth water just from the smell. My mom would make this for parties or holidays and although her crockpot started out full, by the end of the night it was empty. This dish is traditionally served with flour or corn tortillas (gorditas are best), pinto beans and Spanish rice.

Birria (my mom's recipe)

1 3 to 5 lb. beef roast (preferably brisket - NOT "CORNED" BEEF BRISKET)
1 large can whole tomatoes, crushed (you can do this with kitchen shears right in the can)
3 large carrots shredded
1 large white onion, sliced very thin
2 celery stalks, sliced thin
1 jar medium sized Spanish olives, sliced
Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, garlic powder

Put roast in the crock pot. When roast is done (8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high) remove it from crock and shred. Remove any fat and save the broth. Layer in the crock pot in equal amounts as follows: meat, tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery, olives, broth. Repeat layers. Allow to heat for 30 minutes so flavors can blend.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

what style birria is this? I have never seen celery, carrots or olives in birria.
Also, it's pronounced "bee-ree-ah."

Michele said...

It's my mom's recipe. I grew up eating it and pronouncing it that way, as did all other Hispanics in the AZ town I grew up in. Maybe it's a regional recipe? It is common where I grew up.

Nathan said...

Maybe something got lost in translation but this is not Birria pronounced "Bee-ree-ah" this is more of some kind of "Estofado" or "Guiso" or something.

Birria in Mexico and that I know is made from dried chilies (such as ancho, guajillo, etc.), and a complex spice blend that gives it a unique taste cloves, cumin, pepper, oregano, bay leaves, garlic are a must. The only thing it has in common with Birria is that it probably came out red from the tomato...

Michele said...

Thanks for the feedback Nathan. Being from AZ, I don't know where my mom got this recipe, I was not sure if it was authentic but we sure love it. I will check out your recipes, always love to try real authentic Mexican recipes!

Anonymous said...

I am also from AZ and i agree with Nathan this recipe is definitely not "birria" I'm not sure what small town your from but every event i go to serves the same birria and it is nothing like this recipe....

Unknown said...

Gosh, she clearly states its her moms recipe, if you dont like it then look for another why criticize. Im from Arizona too and there are several ways of making it. The recipe I got calls for soda, so again, there are many ways to make something. Thanks Michele for sharing your recipe!

Anonymous said...

Gosh she said its her moms recipe, everyone has their own way of making something. If you dont like her recipe then look for another why criticize it. Im from AZ too and the recipe I got from my comadre calls for soda. Im sure no one has heard of that. Its still a great recipe. Thank you Michele for sharing your recipe because you didnt have to.