Beef Birria and Bean Enchiladas
Beef Birria and Bean Enchiladas are one of our favorite winter dinners. I know it’s already spring, but here in New York it still feels like winter. So, we’re still enjoying cozy cold weather meals here. I start this dinner by braising the beef in homemade adobo sauce. Then, I stuff my tortillas with the beef and pinto beans and roll them up. Finally, I make a creamy cheese sauce and pour it all over the tortillas. We like this dish for several reasons. First of all, this recipe makes enough beef for two meals. I store half the beef and adobo sauce for another meal. On my blog, I have recipes for Birria tacos and egg rolls. Secondly, I like that this meal can be made ahead of time. Then, I just reheat the enchiladas in the microwave. And, lastly, we all love the rich and delicious flavors in this dish.
The Equipment I Used
- A Blender- You will need a blender to blend up the peppers for the adobo sauce.
- A Baking Dish- Use a 9×11 baking dish to bake the enchiladas in.
- An Oven Safe Dutch Oven- You will need this to bake your beef. You could also use a deep baking dish with a tight fitting lid or aluminum foil to cover the meat.
The Ingredients Needed for Beef Birria and Bean Enchiladas
- Chiles- To make the adobo sauce you will need dried ancho and guajillo chilles.
- Short Ribs- You could also use a chuck roast.
- Chicken Stock- I used homemade chicken stock. My recipe is below.
- Pinto Beans- I like to cook dried pinto beans.
How I Made my Enchiladas
- First, I braised my beef. You want to brown the meat well and cook it until it’s tender.
- Next, I made a rich cheese sauce.
- Finally, I rolled the beef and beans in the tortillas and baked them topped by the sauce.
If you like enchiladas, you need to try these cheesy Beef Birria and Bean Enchiladas.
Beef Birria and Bean Enchiladas
Tender beef birria and pinto beans rolled in tortillas and topped with a cheese sauce.
Equipment
- blender
- 1 9×11 baking dish
Ingredients
For the Adobo Sauce:
- 4 dried ancho chilies
- 6 dried guajillo chilies
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 tbsp. white vinegar
- 1 tsp. oregano
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- ¼ tsp. each cinnamon and ground cloves
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
For the Beef Birria:
- 3½ pounds beef short ribs or chuck roast
- 1 tbsp. vegetable Oil
- ½ tsp. each garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 cup chicken stock
For the Monterey Pepper Jack Cheese Sauce:
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup minced onions
- 2 tbsp. minced garlic
- ½ cup plum tomatoes, seeded and minced
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp. each cumin powder, chili powder, and paprika
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- 1½ cups Monterey Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
To Assemble the Enchiladas:
- 10 6 inch flour tortillas
- 1½ cups cooked pinto beans
- 1 cup Monterey Pepper Jack cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- Begin by making the adobo sauce: Remove the seeds and stems from the peppers and then toast them in a cast iron skillet on high heat for a few minutes, until you can smell their aroma.
- In a three quart sauce pan boil the peppers along with two cups of water, for five minutes. Drain the peppers, and then put them in the blender along with two cups of fresh water, the vinegar, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and cloves. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- For the Birra beef taco filling: Dry off the short ribs and sprinkle them with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven on medium heat. Sear the ribs, a few at a time, on all sides. When they're all browned add them all back to the pot along with half the adobo sauce (you can freeze the rest for another use), the chicken stock, the bay leaves and the thyme. Cover the pot and bake them for three hours, or until they're very tender.
- While the beef braises, when it's cooked for two and a half hours, make the Monterey Pepper Jack Cheese Sauce: Heat a skillet on low heat and cook the onions and garlic until they're soft for about ten minutes. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, cream and spices. Simmer ten minutes, or until the sauce thickens up. Remove it from the heat and stir in the cheese.
- To Assemble the Enchiladas: Remove the meat from pot and shred it, discarding the bones and ligaments. Pour the sauce into a measuring cup and discard the fat that rises to the top. In a bowl, mix together a cup and a half of the meat with the beans and a half cup of the sauce. This is the filling. You can freeze the rest of the meat and the rest of the sauce. Then, you can make this again, or my recipes for Birria tacos or egg rolls.
- Fill each tortilla with some of the filling and roll them up. Place them closely together in the baking dish seam side down. Pour the cheese sauce over the tortillas and then sprinkle on the cheese and bake for 20 minutes.
- Serve the enchiladas topped with sour cream, tomatoes, and cilantro.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Chicken Stock
Homemade chicken stock
Ingredients
- 4½ lbs. chicken breasts and wings with skin and bones
- 10 cups water
- 2 peeled onions
- 2 peeled carrots
- 3 peeled parsley roots
- 1 tbsp. kosher salt
- 4 stalks celery
- 1 peeled parsnip
- 2 tbsp. garlic cloves
- 1 cup fresh parsley and fresh dill
Instructions
- Put the chicken and the salt in a large, tall pot and cover with ten cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any scum that forms.
- Add all the vegetables and herbs and simmer for two and a half hours. Pour the soup through a strainer to remove everything but the broth.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
