BOOM TIME FOR BIRRIA
By Chris Wadsworth
I still remember the first time that I heard the term “birria tacos.” My son, then a high-schooler, came home talking about some new kind of taco he wanted to make – something he had seen on TikTok.
At first, I wasn’t sure whether to believe him. I thought I knew all the tacos there were. But then he showed me the video – a golden tortilla stuffed with rich dark brown meat being plunged into a bowl of amber liquid shiny with a bit of oil on top. I had to admit it looked decadent.
That may have been the first time I encountered birria tacos, but it wasn’t the last. It seemed that within months birria was popping up on menus at Mexican restaurants everywhere.
“It’s been around for probably 50 years, but you know social media these days – they bring all kinds of things to the surface,” said chef Basir Ahadi. “Everyone was asking their favorite taco shops if they had birria.”
Ahadi is the founder and owner of Taco Zocalo, a fast-growing local Mexican chain. From his original restaurant in Reston, he has added locations in Ashburn, Chantilly, Falls Church and – soon – Sterling.
Readers of Ashburn Magazine honored Taco Zocalo with the “Best Tacos” award in the Best of Ashburn 2024 contest.
At Taco Zocalo, the birria tacos are extremely popular – and limited in availability. You can only order them on Tuesdays and Sundays.
“It’s very time-consuming,” Ahadi said. “We cook the birria in stock pots for 17 hours. It is slow-cooked, so we decided to have it as a special only for Taco Tuesdays and Sundays.”
BORDER-HOPPING BIRRIA
Birria tacos reportedly started in the Mexican state of Jalisco. They made their way to the Tijuana area and then crossed the border and started popping up at food trucks and restaurants in Los Angeles.
That’s where entrepreneurs and chefs started posting photos and videos of their birria tacos to social media – Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok.
The original meat used in the Mexican version of birria tacos was goat. But goat is very lean, and cooks soon found they could make beef go farther.
BIRRIA BASICS
Crazy as it sounds, the name birria comes from a Spanish word for garbage or something of little value. But before you laugh, that just speaks to the dish’s humble roots. Today, birria is usually made with short rib or beef brisket that is marinated in a mixture of vinegar, dried chiles, garlic and herbs and spices and then cooked in a broth.
And that broth is the key – served on the side in a ramekin or small bowl for dunking.
Traditionally, there is no cheese in authentic birria tacos, but that hasn’t stopped chefs and restaurants from innovating and making as many different types of birria dishes as you can imagine.
BIRRIA IN ASHBURN
Rebel Taco, in Brambleton Town Center, has birria tacos made with braised lamb shoulder, cheese, onions and cilantro. Plus, the dipping “consommé,” of course.
At Señor Tequila’s, a Mexican restaurant in Loudoun Station off Shellhorn Road, you can find “QuesaBirrias” – a quesadilla-style creation with birria meat and cheese in a tortilla that is then grilled. The restaurant also has the requisite birria tacos, as well as birria nachos, on its Happy Hour menu.
In the past, Señor Tequila’s has experimented with birria stew, birria fries and even birria pizza.
“Oh, it’s very popular,” said Mario Villalta, the restaurant’s general manager. “One time, I asked a couple at the bar, ‘How do you know about birria?’ and they said, ‘We saw it on TikTok.’ Now people are ordering birria tacos every day. For here. To go. It’s a big thing.”
A BIRRIA PRO
Corbin Nathan lives in Broadlands and is a self-described “huge fan of Mexican food.” At home, his specialty is fish tacos in corn tortillas topped with some avocado, a honey cilantro lime slaw, and some spicy crema.
But when Nathan goes out for Mexican, which is frequently, birria tacos are one of his go-to orders.
“It’s kind of like a Mexican French dip,” he said. “You’ve got the meat. You’ve got the tortilla. You’ve got the au jus.”
Nathan also shared his favorite “pro tip” with me. “Traders Joe’s has a great birria taco that’s premade and you just heat it up,” he said. “I take the meat and put it in the corn tortillas and add some Oaxaca cheese, which is like a Mexican mozzarella. I fry them up on each side and then you dip them in the au jus. They are awesome.”
Awesome they may be, but let’s face it: Lots of food trends and fads come and go. We all remember the great edamame fixation of 20 years ago. And anyone who dines out regularly knows that beets are definitely having a moment right now.
But since it blew up on social media, birria seems to have become a staple on many Mexican restaurant menus. This may mean that birria tacos and other assorted birria dishes are here to stay.
“Birria is going to be like barbacoa,” Ahadi said. “When you come up with something that has that good of a flavor, I don’t think it’s going to go away. It will be sticking around for a long time.”
(Image at top: Señor Tequila’s)