Tag: main course
Birria Tacos
Birria Tacos
Over the last 6 months, there has been a huge trend in the Mexican culinary world. All of a sudden, every Mexican restaurant is carrying birria tacos. So what is a birria taco? Birria originated from the Mexican state of Jalisco; also home of pozole and menudo. It all started with caldo de birria, a meat stew in a pepper broth. Traditionally goat and lamb are used, but beef can be substituted. I used a combination of all 3 meats. Corn tortillas are dipped in the birria broth, then assembled with the meat, onions, and cilantro. The tacos are folded over and grilled on a griddle until they are crispy. The tacos are served with a side of the birria broth to dip the taco in; just like a French dip sandwich. I chose to use an Instant Pot to make the birria. It only took 90 minutes to prepare. You can make this in a Dutch oven or a crockpot if you don’t have a pressure cooker. It will take anywhere from 4-6 hours to get the meat tender enough to shred. Either process will get you the same results.
Servings: 24 tacos
Equipment
- food processor
- instant pot
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs beef chuck cubed
- 1 beef shank
- 1 1/2 lbs bone in goat shoulder cubed
- 1 lamb shank
- 3 dried ancho chilies
- 6 dried guajillo chilies
- 3 roma tomatoes
- 1/2 medium white onion sliced
- 6 garlic cloves
- 4 whole cloves
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1/2 tsp marjoram
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- salt to taste
- 2 cups water
- corn tortillas softened
Garnish
- white onion finely chopped
- cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Dry toast the dried peppers in a sauté pan over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Place the peppers in a bowl of hot water for 20 minutes.
- Dry toast the cumin seeds, cloves, and cinnamon stick for 2 minutes. Remove from the pan.
- Dry toast the tomatoes, onions, and garlic for 10 minutes.
- Place the rehydrated roast peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic, whole spices(except the cinnamon stick), oregano, marjoram, vinegar, and salt in a blender.
- Purée until smooth.
- Arrange all of the meat in a glass baking dish.
- Pour the sauce from the blender over the meat. Cover with foil and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
- Place all of the meat and sauce in the Instant Pot along with 2 cups of water. Toss in the cinnamon stick. Turn the function to pressure cook on high for 90 minutes. Put on the cover and push start.
- Remove all of the meat and bones from the Instant Pot.
- Keep all of the birria juice warm.
- Pick out all of the bones from the meat. Place the meat in a large sauté pan over medium high heat.
- Cook down the meat until the majority of the liquid has evaporated.
Birria Taco Assembly
- Dip the softened corn tortillas in the birria juice.
- Top the tortillas with the meat, onion, and cilantro.
- Place the tacos on a griddle over medium high heat. Fold the tacos over.
- Grill the tacos for 3-4 minutes a side until the tortillas are crispy.
Ghormeh Sabzi
Ghormeh Sabzi
Ghormeh sabzi is considered the national dish of Iran. The dish consists of stewed lamb and kidney beans with a large amount of fried herbs and onions such as parsley, cilantro, fenugreek, leeks, green onions, and white onions. Traditionally, dried black limes(indigenous to the Middle East) are used as acidity to cut through the richness of this stew. You will probably have a hard time finding black limes, so you can substitute lemon juice. Ghormeh sabzi is best served with basmati rice.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried kidney beans soaked overnight
- 2 lbs leg of lamb cubed
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 bunches parsley chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro chopped
- 4 green onions chopped
- 1 leek chopped
- 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
- 4 tbsp lemon juice or 4 dried black limes
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Heat up a 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the herbs for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil and sauté the onions for 10 minutes.
- Add in the lamb, turmeric, salt and pepper. Sauté for 8 minutes.
- Stir in the soaked beans, lemon juice, and the fried herbs.
- Pour in 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 2 hours.
- Adjust the seasoning.
Chicken Keema
Chicken Keema
Keema is eaten all over Pakistan and many other South Asian countries in the form of ground chicken, beef, or lamb. But why have you never seen it on a menu? Keema is unfortunately looked at as peasant food for the poor. But once you try keema, that ideology is quickly thrown out the window. Keema is best served with chapati, used to scoop up the goodness.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 3 whole cloves ground
- 2 black cardamom ground
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 lbs ground chicken thigh
- 3 tomatoes chopped
- salt to taste
Garnish
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- cilantro chopped
- green chilies chopped
Instructions
- Heat up cooking oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions for 15 minutes until browned.
- Add in the ginger garlic paste and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add in all of the ground spices. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add in the ground chicken, tomatoes, and salt.
- Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the cover and simmer for 10 more minutes until the liquid have evaporated.
