Mexican Braised Goat with Chiles (Birria de Chivo)

Family Meal, Fit for a Crowd, Great Leftovers, Two-for-One, Rewarms Well

On my frequent visits to the Mexican neighborhood of Santa Rosa, California, I often enjoy steaming bowls of various stews. One of my favorites is birria, a rich soupy stew made with lamb or goat. I prefer the goat version (birria de chivo), which is very flavorful and made with tougher bony cuts, such as ribs, shank, or neck. The meat
is cooked long and slow until it almost falls off the bones, so I simply tease it off, suck on the bones, and dive into any bits of meat left behind. If you prefer, you can make your birria with boneless meat from the leg or shoulder.

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 pounds bony goat pieces, such as ribs, neck, shank, and/or shoulder, or 4 pounds boneless goat shoulder
• 2 bay leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Warm corn tortillas

CHILE MARINADE/SAUCE:

• 8 assorted dried chiles, such as guajillo, ancho, New Mexico, California, and/or mulato
• 1 or more jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems and leaves separated, leaves reserved for garnish
• 1 12-ounce bottle Mexican beer
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano (I use Mexican)
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar, or more to taste

GARNISHES:

• Lime wedges
• Chopped red onion
• Salsa Verde
• Finely shredded cabbage
• Fresh cilantro leaves (from above)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Marinade: Heat a large dry skillet over medium heat and add the dried chiles. Toast them, turning, until fragrant; take care not to burn them. Remove from the heat. When they are cool enough to handle, tear up the chiles and discard the seeds and stems. Place the chiles in a bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Soak for 30 minutes, or until they are soft.
2. Drain the chiles, reserving the soaking liquid. Place the chiles in a blender with the remaining sauce ingredients and blend until a homogenous sauce forms. Place the meat in a large bowl, pour the sauce over, and mix well. Marinate for 2 hours at room temperature, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
4. Place the meat and sauce in a large Dutch oven. Add the bay leaves, cover, and bake for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone. Check the stew from time to time and add some of the reserved chile soaking liquid or water if the meat is not covered with liquid. Discard the bay leaves and degrease the sauce. (The stew can be cooled and refrigerated overnight. Remove the congealed fat and rewarm.)
5. The sauce should be soupy but intensely flavored. If not, remove the meat and boil to reduce the sauce to suit your taste, then return the meat to the pot. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and/or vinegar.
6. Ladle into large soup bowls and serve with the tortillas and garnishes.

ALTERNATIVE CUTS:

• Bony lamb, such as neck, shoulder, shank, or breast, or boneless lamb shoulder.

COOK’S NOTES:

• If you want to be a gracious host, remove the meat from the bones and return it to the stew before serving.

LEFTOVERS:

• Turn leftovers into soup by adding any combination of chunks of carrot, rutabaga, turnip, summer or winter squash, chayote, corn on the cob, and/or cabbage and dilute with pork or chicken stock.