Developed by recipe developer and food stylist Andrew Bullis, this Birria Poutine recipe takes a classic Mexican dish and adds a Canadian flare. The salty and earthy flavours of the local, Ontario Queso Oaxaca combined with the rich, and velvety Birria consommé makes this poutine absolutely divine. Although traditional Birria is made with the rib meat of goat or lamb, this recipe uses Canadian beef chuck and adds a hearty, savoury flavour, making it a perfect topping for this irresistible poutine. We’re sure this will quickly become a household favourite!
Birria Marinade
Step 1
Toast up the chillies, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon stick in a cast iron pan until fragrant, set aside and roast the garlic and onions in the pan until lightly browned.
Step 2
Place everything toasted, except cinnamon, in a blender with vinegar, tomatoes, cumin, and salt, blend until smooth.
Birria Stew
Step 1
Cut the beef into 2 inch cubes and toss in a bowl with half of marinade, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Step 2
The next day add the remaining marinade, 1⁄4 cup water, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick to a small pot with the beef. Cook covered on low heat until the beef is just starting to fall apart, about 2 hours.
Fries
Step 1
When the beef is nearly cooked, around 1 hour, cook french fries according to the directions included.
Step 2
While the Fries cook, remove the beef from the Birria Sauce and set aside, skim any fat off the sauce and remove the cinnamon and bay leaves.
Step 3
Mix 2 Tbsp flour with the remaining 1⁄4 cup water until it forms a slurry, add the flour mixture to the Birria sauce and stir until sauce thickens to a gravy consistency.
To plate, create a bed of fries, top with chunks of Queso Oaxaca and beef, then ladle the consommé over top, then add your garnish.
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425°F (215°C)
Step 2
Peel and chop potatoes into thick fries, about the size of an index finger. Place them in a pot with the vinegar and salt and fill with cold water until fries are covered by at least 1 inch(2cm) of water.
Step 3
Bring the water to a boil covered, and then turn water down to a simmer. Continue to cook until the Fries are just starting to fall apart, a good method for checking is to wait about 5 minutes and then check periodically until you see one fry broken in half.
Step 4
As soon as the fries are done, drain the pot. Coat Fries in olive oil and and lay out on a large baking sheet (or two standard sized sheets) with parchment paper. This step can be done ahead of time, if you want you can even freeze the fries in a ziplock bag and save for up to 3 months.
Step 5
Baking instructions: Once the oven has come to temperature, cook fries for 45 minutes, turning every 15 or so, you want them to have a crunchy golden exterior, but because of the early boiling they are already tender on the inside. If using a convection oven, reduce the time to 30 minutes while turning every 10.
Remove from oven, serve, and enjoy!