Ingredients
To Make Birria de Yaca
- 40 oz can of unripe jackfruit
- 12 guajillo chiles
- 3-6 arbol chiles, more = spicier
- 20 black peppercorns
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion
- 4 medium roma tomatoes
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
- 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp mexican oregano
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1-2 cups chile soaking water, for blending
- 2 cups “beef” vegetable broth
To Make Quesabirria
- 1 recipe Birria de Yaca
- 18-20 large corn tortillas
- 2 ½ cups grated mozzarella, vegan or dairy
- vegetable oil, to fry
Method
To Make Birria de Yaca
- Place the guajillo and arbol chiles in a heat-safe bowl. Pour very hot tap water over the peppers and let them soak for 10 – 20 minutes until soft and rehydrated. Reserve the water.
- Meanwhile, drain and rinse the jackfruit. Set it aside and begin to heat up the oil in a large cast-iron or heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the jackfruit. Stir occasionally, adding 2 cups of “beef” vegetable broth to continuously deglaze the bottom of the pan. Continue to break up the jackfruit into smaller pieces.
- While the jackfruit is cooking, quickly heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and toast the cumin seeds, peppercorns, and cloves until aromatic (about 1 minute). Add the spices to a high-powered blender along with the onion, tomato, apple cider vinegar, mexican oregano, fine sea salt, garlic cloves, and ginger.
- Once the chiles are soft, remove the seeds (if any) and add the softened chiles to the blender along with about ½ – 1 cup of the chili soaking water to blend. Blend on high speed for about 1 minute until completely broken down. Add the blended chili sauce to the browned and cooked down jackfruit.
- Add additional water or chili soaking water if needed, bring to a simmer, and cover and reduce the heat for 3 hours.
- Serve as a stew with cilantro and onions or create quesabirria or birriaquiles.
To Make Quesabirria
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Separate the consommé from the jackfruit by pressing it through a fine mesh strainer. Set aside one container of the consommé for dipping and one for preparing the quesabirria.
- For each quesabirria, add about 1 tsp of oil per tortilla onto the hot skillet. Dip the tortilla in the consommé and then place it over the oil in the hot skillet. Add about 4 tbsp of birria meat and 2 tbsp – 4 tbsp of vegan mozzarella/cheese. Let it cook for about 1 minute before folding it over into a quesadilla.
- Cook until crispy and brown on both sides and the cheese is melted. Serve with fresh cilantro, onions, and your favourite hot sauce.
