Quesabirria ('cheese ') (also called birria tacos or red tacos) is a Mexican dish comprising

birria Birria () is a regional variation of barbacoa from western Mexico, mainly made with goat, beef or lamb. The meat is marinated in an adobo made of vinegar, dried chiles, garlic, and herbs and spices (including cumin, bay leaves, and thyme) bef ...

-style cooked beef folded into a tortilla with melted cheese and served with a side of broth () for dipping. The dish, which has origins in

Tijuana, Mexico Tijuana is the most populous city of the Mexican state of Baja California, located on the northwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico. Tijuana is the municipal seat of the Tijuana Municipality, the hub of the Tijuana metropolitan area and the most popu ...

, originally made with

goat meat Goat meat is the meat of the domestic goat (''Capra hircus''). The term 'goat meat' denotes meat of older animals, while meat from young goats is called 'kid meat'. In South Asian cuisine, goat meat is called mutton, along with sheep meat.''O ...

, gained popularity in the United States through

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

. It is now made also with other meats, such as beef and chicken.

History

Quesabirria was created in

. The dish is inspired by the traditional

stew of

Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...

. Californian food writer Bill Esparza saw birria being served on tacos at a taco truck called Tacos Aaron in Tijuana around 2009. Other tacos trucks also served it with cheese inside the taco. Tijuana taqueros brought quesabirria to Los Angeles around 2016. Taqueros and diners began posting about quesabirria on Instagram. ''

Eater Eater may refer to: * Eater (band), an English punk rock group * "Eater" (''Fear Itself''), a 2008 episode of the NBC television horror anthology ''Fear Itself'' * ''Eater'' (novel), a 2000 science fiction novel by Gregory Benford * ''Eater'' ( ...

'' credits Instagram with helping quesabirria go "from a handful of vendors serving a regional specialty to a full-fledged phenomenon."

and

TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...

helped make quesabirria, which is not commonly found at taquerias or Mexican restaurants, a cult food. In 2019, taqueros in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

took note of the popularity of the dish on social media and began serving it. Quesabirria purveyors also host pop-ups at bars and breweries. Quesabirria seekers are known for driving long distances and waiting in long lines to acquire the dish. Quesabirria is sold widely across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Preparation and variations

Quesabirria is "a cross between a taco and a quesadilla." It comprises stewed meat and melted

mozzarella Mozzarella is a Types of cheese#Semi-soft cheese, semi-soft non-aged cheese prepared using the ('stretched-curd') method with origins from southern Italy. It is prepared with cow's milk or buffalo milk, taking the following names: * or mozz ...

or Chihuahua cheese, cooked inside a corn tortilla that has been dipped in the flavorful fat leftover from the stewing process. The meat is often beef – commonly brisket – in contrast to birria, which is traditionally made with goat. The meat is stewed for up to 10 hours with chilies and spices. The tortilla is folded over on a grill, melting the cheese, meat and tortilla together. Some taqueros serve quesabirria with chopped white onion and cilantro inside the tacos or as a topping. Some taqueros use two tortillas on the grill to prepare their quesabirria, while others use two tortillas which they fry prior to adding the cheese and meat. The dish is served hot with a side of broth for the diner to dip the taco. The is the result of hours of stewing the meat used in the tacos. Some diners may sip the instead of dipping. Quesabirria may also be served with optional salsas and garnishes like pickled habaneros, lime or radish. Variations on quesabirria include ''vampiritos'', a version that uses crispy cheese atop or instead of tortillas, and ''birraquiles'', tortilla chips topped with birria, cheese and . Some vendors vary the fillings, such as using lamb or

jackfruit The jackfruit or ''nangka'' (''Artocarpus heterophyllus'') is a species of tree in the Common fig, fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as in weight, in length, and in d ...

, or use flour tortillas. Some restaurants offer tortas and tostadas made in the style of quesabirria.

Gallery

Tacos de Barba Birria 14.jpg, A taquero preparing birria meat in Mexico Ampersandyslexia - 12257705885.jpg, Quesabirria with onions

References

External links

* {{authority control Culture in Tijuana Mexican beef dishes Tortilla-based dishes Cuisine of California Street food in Mexico Mexican-American cuisine Street food in the United States Cuisine of the Western United States Cuisine of the Southwestern United States