Mexican · Authentic-ish Mexican
Birria
593 kcal a serving, against 745 for the traditional version. That is 152 kcal off, or 20%, with 60g of protein. Serves 8. 4 hours 30 minutes, plus overnight chilling.
What the traditional version is
Huge chunks of fatty beef slowly simmered in a heavy broth of dried chillies, spices, tomatoes and vinegar. The fat renders out and floats to the surface, creating a rich slick used to fry the tortillas and coat your mouth with every single sip of the consomme.
What changed, and what each change costs
Chilling the broth and throwing away the rendered fat cap, rather than leaving it in the pan.
The fat cap is pure liquid energy. Skimming it off leaves the lean beef entirely intact but strips the heavy, cloying element from the broth. You keep the meat and the spiced liquid without drinking a cup of rendered dripping.
What it costs you. You lose the mouthfeel entirely. That slick of fat is exactly what makes the tortillas crisp up so beautifully on the heat. Without it, the consomme is much thinner, and the tacos won't have that iconic greasy crunch. This is the first compromise you'll notice, and it changes the dish fundamentally.
100g of lard swapped for 15g of vegetable oil to toast the chillies.
You need a little fat to carry the fat-soluble flavours from the chillies, but a massive spoon of lard is overkill when you're already trying to keep the liquid relatively light.
What it costs you. Lard brings a distinct porky sweetness that vegetable oil completely lacks. The chilli paste won't be quite as rich before it even hits the beef.
600g of corn tortillas reduced to 400g.
Serving fewer tortillas per person cuts the starch right down, putting the focus squarely on the massive pile of spiced beef.
What it costs you. You get less bread to mop up the juices. You'll need to eat more of the stew with a spoon rather than scooping it up.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 745 | 593 |
| Protein | 61.4g | 60g |
| Fat | 33.6g | 22.3g |
| Saturated fat | 11.8g | 7g |
| Carbohydrate | 49.6g | 38g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 8.2g | 10.1g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Mexican prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. sulphites.
The method is in the book
This is a brilliant plate of food, but You end up with a very good bowl of spiced beef. The version that's a late-night street food classic is still out there and still better. You're trading the dripping decadence of a real taqueria for a deeply flavoured stew you can actually eat on a wet Wednesday without feeling completely weighed down. The chillies deliver the right punch, and the beef is intensely savoury. It's a fantastic meal.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Mexican, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback