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Brisket Birria Taquitos

Brisket Birria Taquitos

By Mandy Tanner

Crispy, cheesy, and full of tender, fragrant beef—it’s hard to beat the pleasures of a birria taquito. And while birria tacos became all the rage on social media, we find that rolling everything up in a tight little package makes them perfect finger food and easier to dip in the aromatic braising liquid. This is a phenomenal way to feature leftover brisket cooked on your Traeger.

Prep Time

20 Min

Cook Time

1 Hr
15 Min

Pellets

Brisket Blend

Ingredients

Number of People Serving

4

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Units of Measurment:
Adobo Sauce
2 Ancho chiles
2 Cascabel chiles
2 Guajillo chiles
1/2 white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 1" Piece of Ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 Teaspoon dry oregano, preferably Mexican
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
1 Cup cold water
Taquitos
2 Cup homemade or unsalted beef broth
1 dried bay leaf
1 Pound cooked brisket, fat trimmed, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 ball Oaxaca cheese (10 to 12 oz)
Canola oil, for frying
10 corn tortillas
cilantro, for serving
lime wedges, for serving

Step

  • 1

    Make the adobo sauce: Stem the chiles, split them lengthwise with scissors or a knife, then remove any seeds or large ribs.

  • 2

    Heat a medium cast iron or other heavy-duty skillet over medium heat on the Traeger Induction cooktop or on a stove. Toast the chiles, flipping them occasionally, until darkened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and enough hot water to cover. Cook until the vegetables have softened, another 5 to 8 minutes.

  • 3

    Strain the mixture discarding the cooking liquid. Transfer the vegetables to a blender and add the thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and cumin. Add the vinegar and 1 cup cold water, then blend until well pureed. (The adobo sauce can be made ahead and kept covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen for longer.)

  • 4

    Braise the brisket: Transfer the puree to a large, heavy-duty pot. Add the beef broth, bay leaf, and cooked brisket. Cover the pot to keep any bubbling at bay and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook until the brisket is heated through and fall-apart tender, about 30 minutes.

  • 5

    Transfer the brisket to a bowl. Pour a ladleful of the cooking liquid over it. Using heat gloves or two forks, shred the brisket. Strain some of the remaining broth into a bowl or bowls for serving. (Reserve and freeze any that remains for future good eating.)

  • 6

    Make the taquitos: Slice the Oaxaca cheese into logs about 3-inches long and between ¼ and ½ inch thick. Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towel and place a rack on it. Set a deep, heavy-duty pot filled no more than halfway with oil on the Traeger Induction cooktop. Clip a deep fry thermometer to the pot and heat the oil over medium heat.

  • 7

    As the oil heats, carefully dip a tortilla into the warm oil for about 5 seconds to make it pliable for rolling. Transfer to the rack to drain. Pat dry with paper towel, if necessary, and repeat with the remaining tortillas.

  • 8

    Place a log of Oaxaca cheese toward the center of one cooled tortilla, then then top with some shredded brisket. Roll the tortilla up tightly and secure with a toothpick threaded lengthwise along the seam. Repeat with remaining tortillas, cheese, and brisket.

  • 9

    Heat the oil for frying to between 350°F and 375°F. Working in small batches, fry the taquitos until crispy and golden brown, 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Carefully transfer the cooked taquitos to the rack to drain. Let cool slightly before removing and discarding the toothpicks.

  • 10

    Serve the taquitos with fresh cilantro and lime wedges, if desired, and the reserved strained braising broth for dipping. Enjoy!

My Notes


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