Nuestra Vida

BIRRIA

Serves 6 to 8. You can substitute lamb.

1 baby goat, about 15 pounds dressed weight, cut into large pieces

2 lbs (1,800 grams) of corn masa

16 pepper corns

8 oz. (225 grs.) of chile mora

6 cloves of garlic

5 cloves of allspice

Salt

1 stick of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

Vinegar as necessary

1 pan, large (any large roasting pan works well)

The following are as needed to use as the sauce. While the meat is cooking
prepare the sauce and garnishing, consisting of

Tomatoes

Chiles

Onions, minced

Oregano to taste

Salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. The meat needs to be cooked slowly.

Cut the meat in large pieces, stab with a knife and then put it in a pan
(charola). Put it in the oven. Toast the chiles lightly, then submerge them into
hot water for a few minutes to loosen the skins, peel. In a mortar or a
molcajete* mash the garlic and all the spices, add vinegar to form a sauce that
is neither too watery nor too dry, add salt and cover. Allow it to rest for 24
hours. After it has rested, cover the pan with a layer of paper towels. Add
another layer using the masa until the meat is completely covered. The purpose
is to make sure it can hold the steam (el vapor) that will cook the meat. Cook
in the oven for 3 hours. Break the seal in the pan and check the meat; it should
be very tender. If not, reseal it and cook longer. When you are going to serve
it, uncover and pour  the leftover juice in a pan to cool. Skim the fat and
add  to the sauce. This makes the birria. Serve hot.

I like it in tacos with tortillas de maíz or pan blanco, served as a torta
filling. French bread works great. Because it is greasy, make sure you have
plenty of napkins.

SAUCE:

Cook tomatoes and chiles in enough water just to cover them, then mash and
make the salsa. Add the meat juice left by the cooking of the meat (skim first
if you like), salt, oregano, and minced (picada) onion. Serve with the meat.

*A blender is not recommended because it destroys vitamins by introducing too
much air into the mix and too much frothiness in the marinating sauce. Vitamins
are light and air sensitive.

This is an old recipe I have had for about 30-35 years which I translated
from an old cookbook by Bertha Zelarayan. She skips some of the instructions
that a regular Mexican cook would automatically know, so I had to put them back
in.

Here’s another one, slightly different.

BIRRIA

Serves 6 to 8

1 baby goat, about 15 pounds dressed weight, cut into serving pieces

3 whole cloves

3 whole allspice

2 bay leaves, center spines removed

2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons black pepper corns

flour and water for making a paste

2 tablespoons lard or olive oil

8 guajillo chilies

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

In a mortar with a pestle or in a spice grinder, grind together the cloves,
allspice, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepperand rub the mixture into
the meat. Put the meat on a rack over hot water. You can use any sort of pan or
pot you want. The idea is to use a vessel that has a rack for holding the meat
above the water, and has a lid. Make a paste of flour and water to the
consistency of that gooey white glue that used to get all over your clothes in
kindergarten. Arrange the meat on the rack, cover and use the paste to seal the
lid. Place over medium-low heat and cook for 3 hours. Unseal the pan and test
the meat; it should be very tender. If not, reseal it and cook longer.

When the meat is ready, remove to a roasting pan or any pan large enough to
hold it. Pour out the cooking juices into a bowl and let

rest until the fat comes to the top. Skim off the fat and discard. Reserve l
cup of the liquid. Prepare the chilies for the sauce while the meat is cooking.
Heat the lard in a skillet until hot but not smoking. Dip in the chilies, one at
a time, for a few seconds only. Remove the chilies from the fat and let cool.
Wearing rubber gloves, stem and seed the chilies and put into a pot. Add the
reserved 1 cup cooking liquid and simmer over medium-low heat about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small, dry skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds until
they "dance." In a mortar with a pestle, grind them to a thick paste with a
little water. Toward the end of the cooking time for the chilies, stir in the
cumin paste, and add salt to taste. Pour the chili mixture into a blender. Puree
until smooth. Pour the puree the sauce and pour over the meat. Put it in the
oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

From the Recipe cottage at href="http://www.recipecottage.com/mexican/birria04.html">http://www.recipecottage.com/mexican/birria04.html