Sunday Kitchen: QT Queenstown executive chef Ryan Henley + birria tacos recipe

QT Queenstown executive chef Ryan Henley.

As the executive chef for QT Queenstown, Ryan Henley oversees Bazaar, Reds Bar and all food and beverage operations throughout the hotel. On March 3, Ryan will be hosting a special pop-up event at Lil Red with celebrated chef Peter Gunn (tickets on sale now). Here he shows us a great Mexican slow-cooked beef taco dish, perfect for a lazy Sunday.

What does Sunday in your kitchen look like?

A Sunday in my kitchen at home is pretty relaxed after a busy week of work. We normally get up late, have breakfast and a coffee then we start to get one of my daughter Lillie’s favourite dishes ready for dinner.

Why have you chosen this recipe?

Birria tacos are an easy dish to make that Lillie can help with, but are still delicious to eat. If I don’t have time to make the mix I buy it from Rick at Rick’s Ribs [in Wellington] and it’s amazing. While the meat is cooking, it’s family time so it’s just chill time.

Birria tacos

Birria de rez

1kg boneless chuck

500g oxtail or short ribs

1 tsp neutral oil (avocado or vegetable oil)

Sauce

7 ancho chillis, ends trimmed and deseeded

7 guajillo chillis, ends trimmed and deseeded

3 chillis de arbol, ends trimmed and deseeded

1 white onion, peeled and halved

6 cloves garlic, peeled

4 roma tomatoes

1 Tbsp black peppercorns

1 tsp dried Mexican oregano

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

¼ tsp ground cloves

½ Mexican cinnamon stick (see note if not using Mexican cinnamon)

3 bay leaves

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

3 cups beef broth or water, divided

Tacos

¼ cup minced coriander

¼ white onion, minced

1 lime, juice only

Salt

Corn tortillas

200g mozzarella cheese

1. To prepare the meat: Bring the meat to room temperature, about 30 minutes and then sprinkle liberally on all sides with a good-quality salt. In a large Dutch oven (or a pot with an ovenproof lid), set over medium-high heat, add the neutral oil. When hot, add the meat and sear on all sides until browned. You’ll have to do this in batches. Transfer to a bowl.

2. To make the sauce: Meanwhile, in another medium pot, add the dried chillis, halved white onion, garlic cloves, tomatoes, spices, bay leaves and add cold water until it covers everything. Place over medium heat and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Pour through a strainer and transfer everything (including the whole spices) to a blender. If your blender is small you may need to do this in batches.

3. Add the apple cider vinegar and about 1 cup of beef broth or water and blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add salt to taste (I added about 1 tablespoon of good-quality salt).

*Note: I have a high-powered blender and it resulted in a super smooth sauce. If you have a blender that is meh, you may want to run the sauce through a strainer to discard any big bits the blender didn’t puree. Very optional!

4. To braise the meat: Preheat the oven to 150C. Add the meat back to the pot and pour the sauce over it. To the blender, add the remaining 2 cups of broth or water and swish it around to pick up any leftover sauce and pour it into the pot. Place over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer and then immediately cover and transfer to the preheated oven. Cook for about 3 hours, until the meat is tender.

5. To assemble the tacos: Mix together the coriander, white onion, lime and salt.

6. Remove the meat from the sauce and shred using two forks. Ladle the broth into a bowl and add a handful of minced coriander mixture.

7. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Dip the tortilla into the top of the broth (this should be fat) and add it to the pan. Pan fry on one side for about 30 seconds and then flip over. Add a some of the shredded meat and the shredded cheese. Fold over and cook until pan fried on both sides, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and serve alongside the broth.