¿Dónde Está La Salsa? - Birria Tacos w Pineapple Bacchanal

Chillies from the mercado. Guajillo, ancho, chipotle — built into a broth that slaps. Skirt steak from the local butcher. Pineapple, sautéed onion, fresh tortillas. And when the birria rolls up asking where’s the good sauce — Hawt Sawhcey’s in the hizouse.

This is a proper weekend cook. Low and slow, deeply spiced, dipped and crisped. Worth every minute.

Ingredients

Serves 4–6 (makes 10–12 tacos)

The Birria & Consommé

• 1kg skirt steak, cut into large chunks
• 4 guajillo chillies, stems and seeds removed
• 3 ancho chillies, stems and seeds removed
• 2 chipotle chillies in adobo
• 1 white onion, halved
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 roma tomatoes, halved
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 litre beef stock
• Salt to taste

The Tacos

• 10–12 fresh corn tortillas
• ½ fresh pineapple, small diced
• 1 white onion, finely diced
• Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 200g Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Neutral oil for crisping

To Finish

• Hawt Sawhcey Pepper Dem — to garnish and dip
• Lime wedges

Method

1. Build the chilli base

Toast the guajillo and ancho chillies in a dry pan over medium heat for 30–60 seconds per side until fragrant — don’t burn them. Soak in hot water for 15 minutes until softened. Meanwhile, char the onion halves and tomatoes directly on a flame or dry pan until blackened in spots. Blend the soaked chillies, charred onion, tomatoes, garlic, chipotles, cumin, and oregano with a splash of the soaking liquid until completely smooth.

2. Braise the skirt steak

Season the skirt steak generously with salt. In a large heavy pot, sear the chunks in hot oil until deeply browned on all sides. Pour in the blended chilli sauce, add the beef stock, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 2.5–3 hours until the meat is falling apart and the broth is deep, rich, and glossy. Remove the meat, shred coarsely, and return to the pot. Taste and season the consommé.

3. Sauté the onion and pineapple

In a hot pan with a little oil, cook the diced onion until softened and lightly caramelised, about 6–8 minutes. Add the diced pineapple and cook for a further 3–4 minutes until it takes on some colour. Set aside — this goes inside the tacos for a sweet, fruity contrast to the deep chilli broth.

4. Dip and crisp the tortillas

This is the move. Dip each tortilla briefly into the top layer of the consommé — the fat that rises is what you want. Lay it flat on a hot oiled pan. Add shredded cheese to one half, then a generous spoonful of birria meat and the pineapple onion mix. Fold and press. Cook for 2–3 minutes per side until the tortilla is crispy, deep red, and the cheese is fully melted.

5. Serve with consommé and Pepper Dem

Ladle hot consommé into a bowl for dipping. Top the tacos with fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and a generous drizzle of Pineapple Bacchanal.  Garnish the consommé bowl with a few drops of Pepper Dem on top for colour and heat. Dip the taco. Repeat until the pot is empty.

Hawt Notes 🔥

• Toast your dried chillies — 30 seconds in a dry pan wakes up oils and deepens flavour dramatically. Don’t skip.
• Skirt steak has the perfect fat marbling for birria — it shreds beautifully and soaks up the broth. Ask your butcher for outside skirt if you can get it.
• Dip the tortilla in the fat that rises to the top of the consommé — not just the broth. That fat layer is where the colour and crunch come from.
• Pineapple inside the taco is the twist — sweet against the smoky chilli broth is a combination that makes people ask what your secret is.
• Pepper Dem in the consommé dipping bowl is the Hawt Sawhcey move. The Scotch bonnet heat layered on top of the guajillo and ancho? Next level.