potluck: birria tacos

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs oxtail
• 3 tsps salt
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 dried Guajillo Chilies
• 2 dried Pasilla Chilies
• 2 tablespoons Potli’s Olive Oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 12 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons vinegar (can use Potli’s Apple Cider Vinegar, but I didn’t use for original recipe)
• 1 tbsp dried Oregano
• 2 bay leaves

Spices:

• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 8 peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 can of chipotle peppers

* at the end, if birria is too spicy can add Potli’s honey to taste

Instructions:

1. Season oxtail with salt and set aside.
2. Break the dry chilies apart and remove the stems and seeds. Toast the chilies in a dry skillet over medium low heat until slightly darkened. Make sure not to burn or the birria will taste bitter. 
3. Place chilies in a small pot with the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat off, then cover and let stand for twenty minutes. 
4. In the same warm skillet, toast all the spices for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Toss the cinnamon stick and put the rest of the spices in a blender. Pulse a few times and set aside. 
5. Using the Saute setting, add olive oil into the Instant Pot. Add onions and garlic until fragrant and golden. 
6. Add the entire can of tomatoes, let simmer for 2-3 minutes until broken down. Then add vinegar, Oregano, and bay leaves. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned pieces. Turn off heat.
7. Add the softened chilies and chicken broth into the blender with the spices. Also add one cup of the tomato mixture from the Instant Pot. Start blending on low then slowly increasing to high.Turn blender off then add 3 chipotle peppers. Blend until smooth.
8. Pour this sauce into the Instant pot and stir to combine.
9. Add the seasoned oxtail then stir to combine. 
10. Set the Instant Pot on normal pressure for 1 hour. Let the pressure naturally release.

To make the tacos:

1. Shred the meat using two forks and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan.
3. Fully dip a tortilla into the birria and fry both sides in the pan. Depending on how crispy you like it, I usually do about 30 seconds on each side. 
4. Place tortillas on a plate and add shredded oxtail. Top with cilantro, pickled onions, cotija cheese, salsa verde, anything you like!