No doubt you’ve had tacos — but have you had a birria taco?

For the uninitiated, you will be in for a flavorful surprise. Today, with a nod to National Hispanic Heritage Month, which extends to Oct. 15, we explore the unique history of the creation of birria, a unique method of stewing less tender, gamy-flavored meat like goat. This method of cooking dates to Spanish conquistadors in Mexico’s early history and is enjoying a revival in the food world, particularly served as birria tacos.

We start our odyssey of birria tacos with conversations with two local chefs who make the TikTok sensation dish at their restaurants. First up we met with Everardo and Maria Galvan, owners of Por Favor Tacos and Tragos, and their son Everardo Jr. Then we visited with Ferando Trancoso, owner of Tepex Otra Vex eatery.

A brief history of birria

“Birria is from Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco,” said Everardo Jr. “That is where our family is from. Birria dates to the Spanish conquistadors and their colonization. The Spaniards brought animals, including goats, which ate the vegetation native Mexicans depended on.”

The Spaniards were not keen on eating goat meat themselves “because of its strong flavor and toughness,” Everardo Jr. said.

However, the goats started reproducing and the native people were finding their food supplies dwindling. Out of the necessity to find food, they turned to goat meat as a nutritious solution, as well as to control the goat population.

Making birria

“The term birria comes from an old Spanish word that describes something with no value or of poor quality,” said Everardo Jr. “So birria is a humble food, which the Mexicans made into a delicious stew of spicy chiles, native spices and served it with the braising liquid. We call the dip consommé.”

Maria, who is the keeper of the family recipes and head chef at Por Favor, chimed in, “The secret to great birria is the adobo marinade made with chiles and rubbed on the meat as a marinade. We marinate the meat in the refrigerator all day and then simmered overnight, until the meat shreds easily.”

The adobo sauce is a blend of dried chiles, like guajillo and ancho, plus garlic, roasted tomatoes, onions and Mexican spices. Instead of traditional goat meat, which has gotten more expensive, now other proteins are used in birria preparations. Maria uses chuck beef roast, but other beef cuts can be used or other meats including lamb, sheep and chicken.

According to Everado Sr., “The traditional way to cook birria in Mexico was in a hole in the ground. We dug a bowl-shaped hole in the ground and built a fire with wood. The marinated meat was wrapped in banana leaves and placed on the smoldering coals, covered with dirt and allowed to slowly bake.”

However, in the U.S. this method of cooking is not allowed by the health department for preparing food for public consumption.

“We’ve always cooked the birria on the stovetop, overnight, just barely simmering. We open the restaurant at 11 a.m. and we get to work around 10 a.m. to start prepping. If the birria is not just right, we still have an hour of cooking to reach the correct tenderness,” Everardo Sr. said.

Fond memories

Ferando Trancoso grew up in the small town of Aguascalientes in central Mexico, where he learned much of his culinary skills from his mother and grandmothers. He has fond memories of making birria.

“Birria in my home state is steamed or roasted in a pit rather than stewed,” Trancoso said. “We don’t use chiles in the making and the consommé is a clear broth typically served in a bowl before the meat. Then the birria is served, just the meat, covered with a spicy tomato and chile de árbol sauce with sides of onions, cilantro and tortillas.”

“Traditionally in small towns such as mine, birria is a dish for celebrations, weddings and quinceañeras,” he said.

Growing up, Trancoso’s family mostly used goat meat, but sometimes they used sheep and beef or a combination, “depending on the budget,” he said.

Trancoso is still a fan of using goat meat.

“I really like goat meat, but due to the popularity the price skyrocketed, so I make my birria at Tepex with beef shoulder for tenderness and flavor,” he said. “However, goat meat is available at most Mexican markets if you want to make the real deal.”

W

ays of serving birria

Most commonly you will find birria served as tacos or as the crunchy, cheesy queso-birria. Both the Galvens and Trancoso have these options on their menus. But Trancoso gets a little more creative with his birria creations.

“I have made a Mexican dip, which is like a French dip but with a Mexican twist. I serve the birria sandwich with a spicy chile sauce for dipping. I also make a ramen-style dish with birria and noodles.” Trancoso said.

And the Galvens have the birria-burro, which is a twist on a burrito, and it is huge. It’s stuffed with refried beans, melted asadero cheese, rice and the meltingly tender, spicy birria. Like their birria tacos and queso-birria, it’s also served with consommé for dipping, and little ramekins of cilantro and white onion and a lime wedge.

Birria’s popularity

According to Everado Jr., “Since being introduced in the U.S., birria tacos have gained in popularity. Especially on social media like TikTok.”

For the Galvans and Trancoso, birria anything is one of the bestsellers. And once you have a birria taco, regular tacos will never taste the same.

So why wait to get on the birria taco train? Plan a visit to a Mexican eatery to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with a birria dish. Or roll up your sleeves and hit the kitchen to make your own birria inspiration. Just be sure to plan plenty of time to get the job done.

And follow Trancoso’s advice: “The secret to making birria is love and patience.”