Goat Birria Tacos With Cucumber Pico de Gallo
Traditional Mexican birria tacos made with tender, slow-cooked goat leg, served with a fresh cucumber pico de gallo and rich consomé for dipping. The meat is marinated in a complex chile sauce with warm spices and cooked until falling off the bone.
Ingredients
- •1 piece bone-in leg of goat or lamb
- •⅓ cup kosher salt
- •1 large white onion
- •10 cloves garlic
- •3 large guajillo chiles
- •1 large ancho chile
- •2 whole chiles de árbol
- •1 piece ginger
- •2 whole cloves
- •1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
- •1 Tbsp black peppercorns
- •1 Tbsp dried oregano
- •1 tsp ground cumin
- •5 whole Persian cucumbers
- •½ medium red onion
- •⅓ cup lime juice
- •¼ cup basil
- •1 tsp kosher salt
- •2½ whole habanero chiles
- •24 pieces corn tortillas
- •warmed
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Rub goat leg with ⅓ cup Diamond Crystal or 3 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt, working into flesh and fat. Wrap tightly in parchment or wax paper and chill at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.
180 min
- 2.
Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Evenly scatter onion, garlic, guajillo chiles, ancho chile, chiles de árbol, ginger, cloves, tomatoes, peppercorns, oregano, and cumin across a large roasting pan and place a roasting rack on top. Unwrap goat leg and set on rack. Pour 4 cups water into pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake until meat is pulling away from the bone and shreds easily with a fork, 41/2-5 hours.
300 min
- 3.
Let leg sit (still covered) until cool enough to handle (about 1 hour). Shred meat into small pieces and place in a large bowl; discard bones. Remove ginger from pan; discard. Working in batches if needed, purée liquid and aromatics left in pan in a blender until smooth. Pour half of consomé over meat and mix to coat. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Cover and set aside. Pour remaining consomé into a medium bowl and set aside for serving.
60 min
- 4.
Do Ahead: Meat can be prepared 3 days ahead. Chill meat and consomé.
- 5.
Toss cucumbers, onion, lime juice, basil, and salt in a medium bowl. Add 1-4 chiles, depending on their heat and how spicy you like things, and let sit 10 minutes.
10 min
- 6.
Top warm tortillas with meat, then salsa. Serve with consomé for dipping.
5 min
