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Food

All about birria: 10 D-FW restaurants with goat, beef and fusion birria

Birria is a 500-year-old Mexican dish that has become popular in the United States.

Birria is a trendy dish that has recently conquered the palates of Texas.

It is a beef stew that can be eaten on a plate, in tacos or quesadillas, always accompanied by a spicy and flavorful consomé.

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Its popularity in the United States began just a few years ago, although it is long a traditional dish of Jalisco, a state in western Mexico.

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“Birria has been a key dish for more than 500 years and used to be prepared only with goat, but now everyone can use different meats, mainly beef,” said Rodolfo Jimenez, owner of Maskaras Mexican Grill, a restaurant that sells traditional dishes from Jalisco in Oak Cliff. “At our restaurant, we cook it with all the ingredients and New York strip steak, which gives it a better touch.”

During the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, the Spaniards introduced many new products to Mexico, including goats and various spices, which resulted in new dishes. One of these was birria, which was prepared with goat meat. Because it had such a strong flavor, a broth or accompaniment was necessary to balance its flavor, according to the Larousse Encyclopedic Dictionary of Mexican Gastronomy.

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Halal Fusionz owner Ahmed Siyaji holds a Nihari X Birria Taco, which is made with Pakistani...
Halal Fusionz owner Ahmed Siyaji holds a Nihari X Birria Taco, which is made with Pakistani Nihari meat served in a mini naan grilled with birria oil and topped with cheese and cilantro, after dipping it in a birria dipping sauce.(Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer)

“The traditional, original birria is made with 20 ingredients. In Guadalajara, if you want to try a great birria, you have to try it with those 20 ingredients, and that’s how we prepare it,” Jimenez said.

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In Jalisco’s recipe books, the Larousse points out, the ingredients most often cited are different kinds of chiles, such as ancho, chilacate, guajillo, pasilla, mirasol, morita and cascabel; spices such as black pepper, cloves, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, thyme, roasted sesame, bay leaf, garlic and onion; and salt and white vinegar. Some also add beer, pulque or chocolate.

The flavor has attracted the attention of other cultures, leading to creative fusion dishes like birria ramen or pita with birria.

Here are some places in D-FW where you can try birria, be it goat or beef:

Maskaras Mexican Grill

Beef birria. 2423 W. Kiest Blvd., Dallas. maskarasmexicangrill.com.

Birrieria Aguinaga

Goat and lamb birria. Several locations in D-FW. birrieriaaguinaga.com.

Birrieria y Taqueria Los García

Goat and beef birria. 8014 Lake June Road, Dallas. orderbirrieriaytaquerialosgarcia.com.

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Chilangos Tacos

Beef birria. Several locations in Dallas and Plano. chilangostacos.com.

De La Fuente Tacos de Birria

Beef birria. 5481 Broadway Blvd., Suite 118, Garland. delafuentetacos.com.

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Frida’s Tacolandia

Beef birria. 839 Singleton Blvd., Suite 100, Dallas. instagram.com/fridastacolandia.

Halal Fusionz

A cross between Mexican birria and Pakistani cuisine. 3230 Towerwood Drive, Farmers Branch. halalfusionz.com.

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Jazzy’s Tacos

Beef birria. Mobile pop-up taqueria: Follow on Instagram for locations. instagram.com/jazzystacos.

Taqueria Moctezuma

Beef birria. 4117 N. Story Road, Irving. taqueriamoctezuma.square.site.

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Tortas Ahogadas Guadalajara

Beef birria. 4910 E. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth. instagram.com/tortas_ahogadasguadalajaradfw.