Birria is Mexico’s famous chile-braised meat, and goat is the traditional choice. The meat marinates overnight in a guajillo chile sauce, then a pressure cooker makes it fall-apart tender in about an hour. Shred it for the best tacos you’ll make all year.
Why this works
- Rehydrated guajillo chiles bring deep red color and mild, fruity heat.
- An overnight marinade with vinegar and warm spices seasons the meat all the way through.
- Pressure cooking turns a tough cut tender in about an hour instead of an afternoon.
My tips
- Steep the chiles a full 20 minutes so they blend smooth.
- Save the cooking liquid: it’s the flavor base for the final simmer.
- Pull the meat off the bones while it’s warm; it shreds more easily.
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The story behind it
Do you look to try totally different things? How about goat?
I have made a dish with goat once before. It was a Middle Eastern inspired GOAT STEW. People think goat is gamy but it is not. Goat is a pretty tough cut of meat so it requires slow cook to make it tender. Using a marinade and the slow cooking process leaves a very tender and somewhat sweet tasting dish.
A couple of other examples of dishes that I have created that are unique include this ONE POT KIMCHI CHICKEN STEW and this JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN STEW. What all three of these dishes has in common is they truly show the versatility of cooking. Taking some fairly traditional recipes and either creating some fusion idea or using a protein for an everyday dish.
The recipe does have a few steps to follow but none that are hard. The first step is to create the chili marinade. Once the marinade is developed it is poured over the goat and marinated overnight. The marinade both flavors and tenderizes the goat. Then, the goat was cooked in the pressure cooker to get it to be pull apart tender. Get some kitchen gloves because the goat is hand pulled. This is a very important step because you want to make sure all the bones are separated. The goat, birria, is finished off by simmering with onions and more spices in a Dutch oven.
Creating the Birria sauce added to the Goat.
The Mexican Goat Birria plated.
Make ahead & storage
- Even better the next day. Keeps 3–4 days in the fridge or about 3 months frozen.
Variations
- No goat? Beef chuck or lamb shoulder work well.
- No pressure cooker? Braise covered at a low simmer for 3–4 hours.
Questions people ask
What does goat taste like?
Rich and savory, similar to lamb but leaner.
What do you serve birria with?
Warm corn tortillas, onion, cilantro and lime.
You might also like: Pan Fried Sea Bass Tacos · Jamaican Jerk Chicken Stew · Cheese & Guava Filled Pupusa
Made this? Leave a star rating in the recipe card below and tell me how it turned out in the comments. I read every one.
The Recipe
Mexican Goat Birria
Ingredients
- 3 Lbs Goat
- 5 Whole Dried Guajillo chilies
- 4 Cups Water
- 1/4 Cup Apple Cider vinegar
- 2 Whole White onion, divided
- 4 Whole Garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 Tsp Cumin
- 1/4 Tsp Allspice
- 1/4 Tsp Ginger
- 1/4 Tsp Thyme
- 1 Tsp Adobo Seasoning
- 1 Tsp Pepper
- 1 Bunch Cilantro, rough chop
Instructions
- Begin by boiling the water. Add the boiling water to the dried gualjillo chilies. Let steep for 20 minutes. Add the rehydrated chilies and enough water to a blender. Blend thoroughly.Place the cut up goat in a big mixing bowl. Pour the marinade over the goat and let do its job overnight. In the morning, add the marinated goat to the pressure cooker. Add one quartered onion, garlic and enough water to cover. Set the pressure cooker for an hour and let it do its magic.Once the goat is removed from the pressure cooker and let cool. Once cool, pull all the meat off the bones. Add to a Dutch oven and add the remaining onion all the spices with the apple cider vinegar and a little bit of the water from the pressure cooker. Let simmer on a low heat enabling all the spices to sink into the meat. Serve with raw onion, corn tortillas and cilantro. Enjoy!
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
comments – I answer every one.