The #NBAXmas Cookbook offers an interactive and festive experience where NBA Fans can try recipes from all 30 teams’ home markets.
Each team was challenged to showcase a recipe that best represents their region’s most iconic culinary food. This recipe ranges from a favorite snack, dish or dessert that is unique to the team and fanbase.
Find the origin of each recipe and everything you need to create it below.
Beef Birria
This unique entrée was chosen due to its strong regional connection and San Antonio’s role in popularizing the dish. Stewed in the heart of San Antonio, Beef Birria tacos traveled north from Jalisco, Mexico and have become popular domestically over the last five years.
Birria is a meat stew bathed in a mixture of chiles and spices and feature tortillas filled with the stew’s tender juicy meat. The tortillas are then immersed in the thin layer of fat that floats to the top of the birria. The tortillas are then filled with meat and placed on the griddle to gain their crispy exterior.
Birria tacos are served with the consommé, or broth from the stew, on the side and topped with cilantro and onions.
Ingredients
| BEEF |
| 5 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and deseeded |
| 5 dried New Mexico chiles, stemmed and deseeded |
| 4 dried chile de arbol, stemmed and deseeded |
| 2 cans of whole peeled tomatoes |
| 2 white onion, quartered |
| 8 cloves garlic |
| 6 cups beef broth |
| 1 tbsp. vegetable oil |
| 4 lbs. chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes |
| 1 1/2 lbs. beef shank |
| Kosher salt |
| freshly ground black pepper |
| 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar |
| 1 tbsp. ground coriander |
| 1 tbsp. ground cumin |
| 2 tsp. dried oregano |
| 2 cinnamon sticks |
| 2 dried bay leaves |
| TACOS |
| 30 corn tortillas |
| 4 cups shredded mozzarella |
| 1 cup finely diced onion |
| 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro |
| 6 limes, cut into wedges |
Directions:
BEEF:
- In a pot, combine the ancho chiles, New Mexico chiles, chiles de arbol tomatoes, onion, garlic, beef broth and beef shank.
- Bring to a boil and let simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- While you wait, cube and season chuck roll with salt and pepper.
- Add oil to a Dutch Oven on medium to high heat and sear beef in batches to make sure you brown all sides of the meat.
- Once finished, transfer to a plate or holding.
- Remove all bones from the tomato and chili mixture, then using an immersion blender, blend the tomato and chili mixture until smooth
- Add the blended sauce to the Dutch Oven
- Add the meat back to the Dutch Oven with any juices from the plate
- Add the apple cider vinegar, coriander, cumin, dried oregano, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves (put the cinnamon and bay leaves in a cheesecloth and tie with chef string)
- Stir and bring to a simmer, then close lid and cook until beef is tender (about 3 hours)
- Once beef is tender, remove cinnamon sticks and bay leaves and discard, then remove the beef and shred
- Strain the remaining liquid for a consommé dipping sauce
- Once settled, skim oil off the top of the consommé and set it aside
TACOS:
- To build the tacos, dip three 6 inch corn tortillas in the oil from the consommé and lay them on the griddle over medium to high heat
- Flip tortillas and add 2 oz. of mozzarella cheese to each tortilla
- Once cheese stars to melt, add 2 oz. of beef birria then fold in half to close
- Cook the tacos on the griddle until crisp
- Remove to plate, and serve with lime wedges, diced onions, cilantro and a small cup of the consommé for dipping
