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Loading...A celebrated Jalisco specialty of bone-in goat slowly braised in a smoky dried-chile sauce sharpened with vinegar and aromatic spices. The tender meat is served in its deep red consomé, the traditional partner for crisp-edged birria tacos.
Prep Time45 mins
Cook Time180 mins
Total Time225 mins
Servings6
Yield6 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 475 kcalCalories
- 22 gFat
- 7 gSaturated Fat
- 16 gCarbs
- 5 gFiber
- 4 gSugar
- 46 gProtein
- 780 mgSodium
- 920 mgPotassium
- 95 mgCalcium
- 7.5 mgIron
- 14 mgVitamin C
- 185 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the chile marinade
- 6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 3 dried chiles de árbol, stemmed
- 1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 Roma tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups warm beef broth
- 2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3 whole cloves
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
For the stew
- 4 lbs bone-in goat meat (shoulder and shank), cut into 3-inch pieces
- 2 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
- 1 large white onion, sliced into rings
- 6 cups beef broth or water
- 1 tbsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
For serving
- 1 cup finely chopped white onion
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- Warm corn tortillas
Directions
- Toast the guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side until fragrant; do not burn. Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 20 minutes until pliable.
- Drain the soaked chiles and transfer to a blender with the chopped onion, garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, beef broth, oregano, marjoram, thyme, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Blend until very smooth, adding a little extra broth if needed to loosen.
- Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing to extract all the flavor; you should have about 4 cups of glossy red marinade. Pour half of the marinade over the goat pieces in a nonreactive bowl, toss to coat, and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to overnight).
- Heat the lard in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering. Working in batches, sear the marinated goat pieces until deeply browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total per batch. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the sliced onion to the pot and cook, scraping up the browned bits, until softened and lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Pour in the remaining marinade and the 6 cups broth, then return the goat and any accumulated juices to the pot. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and gently simmer until the goat is fork-tender and pulling from the bone, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Skim off any gray foam during the first hour.
- Carefully lift the goat pieces onto a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred the meat into bite-sized chunks, discarding bones and large fat caps. Strain the cooking liquid into a wide bowl, taste, and adjust salt.
- Ladle a portion of the rich red consomé into each bowl, then pile the shredded goat alongside. Garnish with chopped onion and cilantro, and serve with lime wedges, warm corn tortillas, and extra consomé for dipping birria tacos.
Cook’s Notes
- Choose bone-in goat shoulder and shank for the deepest flavor; the collagen enriches the consomé as it cooks.
- Toast the chiles briefly and watch closely — burnt chiles will make the entire sauce bitter and acrid.
- For the most authentic taste, marinate the goat overnight in the chile sauce before braising.
- Spoon the bright-orange chile-fat that rises to the top of the consomé into the tortillas as they warm for next-level tacos.
- If goat is unavailable, substitute bone-in lamb shoulder; cook a similar amount of time.
