Homemade Beef Birria

Fill a kettle or small pot with 3 cups of water and set it over high heat. Bring the water to a boil.

While the water is boiling, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 6 chiles de arbol, all the guajillo chiles, and all the ancho chiles to the skillet. Toast the chiles for 1 to 2 minutes, until you can smell their aroma. Note that the remaining 4 chiles de arbol will be used to garnish the birria.

Transfer the toasted chiles into a medium bowl. Pour the boiled water over the chiles to cover them. Let the chiles soak for 20 minutes, until they become soft.

Heat the same skillet that was used to toast the chiles over medium - high heat. Add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic to the skillet. You don't need to add any oil. Lightly char the vegetables all around, stirring them occasionally. This will take 15 to 20 minutes.

Transfer the rehydrated chiles and their soaking water, the charred vegetables, cumin, oregano, peppercorns, salt, and vinegar into a blender. Blend the ingredients until you get a bright red, smooth sauce. This sauce is the flavor base for your consomé.

In a large Dutch oven or heavy - bottomed pot, add the olive oil and heat it over high heat. Carefully add the red chile sauce to the pot. Cook the sauce for 5 minutes, stirring it frequently.

Stir the beef, bay leaves, beef stock, and water into the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for 2 hours.

Prepare three small bowls for garnishes. In one bowl, mix the finely chopped onion and cilantro together. Use your hands to roughly crumble the remaining 4 chiles de arbol into a separate small bowl. Place the lime wedges in the last bowl.

Remove the pot from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat into a large bowl. With the help of two forks, shred the meat. Return the shredded meat to the pot. Taste the birria and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper, if needed.

Serve the birria warm in a bowl. Garnish it with the onions and cilantro, crushed chiles de arbol, and a good squeeze of lime. Enjoy your birria, and you can turn the leftovers into birria tacos!

Refrigerate any leftovers in a lidded container for up to 1 week. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 1 month. To reheat, defrost the birria overnight in the fridge. Then, warm it up in a saucepan on the stovetop with a splash of beef stock or water.