Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

-----------------------ONE DAY AHEAD----------------------------
2 Lamb shanks Hot water to cover
1 Veal breast 18 Peppercorns
1 Lamb breast 4 Whole cloves
3 lb Loin of pork, rib or 1/4 ts Oregano
-shoulder end 1/4 ts Cumin seeds, scant ts
2 tb Salt 1/4 c Vinegar
6 Chiles anchos 2 ts Salt
3 Chiles guajillos 6 cl Garlic, peeled
10 Chiles cascabel 1/2 sm Onion

-----------------------ON SERVING DAY----------------------------
1 1/2 c Water -(see recipe)
The meat Meat juice
Flour and water paste 1 c Onion, finely chopped
2 lb Tomatoes, broiled 1/2 ts Oregano

The word birria means something deformed or grotesque, and it is used
col- loquially in the northwest to mean a mess or failure. This
certainly looks a mess when it is cooked, but it is a very savory one.

It is a really rustic dish. Usually a whole goat or lamb, although
in some places just the offal, is seasoned with a paste of ground
spices and chilies and cooked in a pit barbecue.

One day ahead: There will be approximately 6 to 7 pounds of meat.
Slash the meats in several places down to the bone and rub the salt
well into it. Meanwhile, prepare the chili paste. Heat the comal (or
griddle) and toast the chilies lightly, turning them from time to
time so that they will not burn. Remove the veins and seeds. Put the
chilies to soak in hot water for abt. 20 minutes, then transfer with
a slotted spoon to the blender jar, add the rest of the ingredients,
and blend to a smooth sauce. Cover the meat thickly with the paste
and set it aside to season for about 18 hours.

On serving day: Preheat the oven to 350F. Put the water in the bottom
of a large Dutch over or casserole with a tightly fitting lid and
place the meat on a rack so the it is just about the water. Seal the
lid with a paste of flour and water and cook for about 3 1/2 to 4
hours, by which time the meat should be almot falling off the bones.

Strain off the juices from the bottom of the pan, cool, and skim off
the fat. There should be about 2 cups of juices left-if not, make it
up with up to 2 cups of water. Blend the tomatoes to a smooth sauce.
Put the sauce and the skimmed juices from the meat into a saucepan
and bring to a boil.

Serve each portion of mixed meats in a deep bowl. pour 1/2 cup of
sauce over the meat and sprinkle with the chopped onion and oregano.
Eat with tortillas. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

From the Cuisines of Mexico by Diana Kennedy

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