Birria Pulled Beef Burger

Ingredients

• 1 kg Beef chuck (Brush and season before searing)
• 2 Yellow onions (Thinly sliced or chopped; approximately 220 g total)
• 2 cl Red wine vinegar (About a finger's depth in the pot)
• 1 tbsp Tomato paste
• 0.5 L Beef stock (Add enough to cover the beef chuck halfway; the amount actually absorbed may vary)
• 1 Dried guajillo chili (It can be removed after 2 hours for a milder sauce, or left in until the end and blended)
• 2 gousses Garlic (Unpeeled)
• 1 branche Thyme (A large sprig)
• 1 tsp Smoked paprika
• Grapeseed or sunflower oil (A drizzle, for searing the meat)
• Salt (To taste; for seasoning the beef chuck)
• Pepper (To taste; used on the beef chuck and in the cheddar sauce)
• 1 tbsp Maple syrup (To help the salt and pepper adhere to the beef chuck)
• 6 Burger buns (The exact quantity is not specified; estimated for 1 kg of meat)
• Pickled jalapeños (Optional, for serving in the burgers)
• 200 g Cheddar (Cut into pieces for the sauce)
• 10 cl Heavy cream (For the cheddar sauce)

Steps

1. 1

   Brush the beef chuck with the maple syrup, then generously season it with salt and pepper on all sides.

2. 2

   Heat a drizzle of grapeseed or sunflower oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Quickly sear the beef chuck on all sides, then set it aside.

3. 3

   In the same Dutch oven, sauté the onions for approximately 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Deglaze with the red wine vinegar, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven.

5. 5

   Add the tomato paste and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

6. 6

   Return the beef chuck to the Dutch oven. Add the unpeeled garlic, thyme, guajillo chili, and smoked paprika.

7. 7

   Pour in the beef stock until the beef chuck is halfway submerged.

8. 8

   Cover the Dutch oven and place it in an oven at 150 °C for the first hour.

9. 9

   Then lower the oven temperature to 130 °C and continue cooking for at least 4 hours. The total cooking time is generally 5 to 5 h 30; you can extend it by 1 hour if the meat is not yet tender enough.

10. 10

    For a milder preparation, remove the guajillo chili after approximately 2 hours of cooking. If you like chili, leave it in until the end and blend it with the sauce.

11. 11

    When the meat is very tender and shreds easily, remove it from the Dutch oven if necessary and blend the sauce. If it seems too thin, let it reduce slightly before continuing.

12. 12

    Shred the beef chuck and mix the shredded meat directly into the blended sauce.

13. 13

    To prepare the cheddar sauce, heat the heavy cream in a saucepan.

14. 14

    Add the cheddar pieces and let them melt over very low heat, stirring until smooth. Season with pepper.

15. 15

    Fill the burger buns with the saucy pulled beef, cheddar sauce, and, if desired, pickled jalapeños.

Notes

The recipe specifies a total cooking time of approximately 5 to 5 h 30, with 1 hour at 150 °C followed by the remaining time at 130 °C. The quantity of burger buns is not specified; six buns are estimated for serving 1 kg of meat. The cheddar sauce can also be served with fries, particularly with fried onions.

Nutrition per serving

• main course
• burger
• Mexican
• birria
• pulled beef
• slow-braised
• spicy
• cheddar sauce