Name: Beef Birria
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 pasilla chilli; 2 ancho chillies; 4 guajillo chillies; 1 mulato chilli; 4 tbsp chilli soaking water; 6 tbsp vegetable oil; 1kg beef brisket, cut in to large 2 inch chunks; 2 bay leaves; 2 tsp cumin; 2 tsp coriander; 2 tsp annatto powder; 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder; 1 large white onion, finely chopped; 2 tsp tomato puree; 4 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped; 6 cloves garlic, grated; 200ml soaked chilli water; 2 tsp Mexican oregano; Juice of 1 lime; Handful coriander, chopped

I think my obsession with Mexican beef taco / burrito fillings started with my first visit to Pancho's burritos in Manchester (and the gazillion visits thereafter!)

I'm not entirely sure it's even "birria", or if indeed my dish here is really "birria", but it's where my brain goes: deliciously soft slow cooked beef in a rich, spicy, deep brown / red broth. I've also read many articles about the difference between birria and barbacoa - and I won't go in to that here.

What I do know is this recipe works brilliantly as a taco or burrito filling, or over a bowl of rice.

The recipe is simple: take some good quality beef (I use brisket), season it hard and sear it deeply, add some core earthy spices (coriander, cumin) and an authentic Mexican chilli paste, add some liquid (soaked chilli water), and let it slow cook for hours.

The onion, fresh tomatoes and tomato puree add some body to the dish, and the Mexican oregano really does add a distinct and unique flavour (Italian oregano just isn't the same).

It's worth the 4 hour wait and it's a fun meal to do on a lazy Sunday.