1. Make the Chili Paste:

• Prep Chiles: Wearing gloves if sensitive, remove the stems and seeds from the dried guajillo and ancho chiles.  
• Rehydrate Chiles: Place the cleaned dried chiles in a medium-sized pot. Add ½ cup beef stock (or enough to mostly cover). Bring to a boil, then cover the pot, remove from heat, and let sit for 15-20 minutes until the peppers are very soft and pliable.
• Blend Paste: Transfer the softened peppers (and the soaking liquid) to a high-powered blender or food processor. Add the chipotle peppers in adobo, roughly chopped onion, garlic cloves, crushed tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, Mexican oregano, dried thyme, cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and allspice. Blend until the mixture is very smooth and thick. If needed, add another ½ cup or more of beef stock (or water) gradually to reach a smooth, paste-like consistency. Set aside.

2. Sear the Beef:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Pat the beef chunks dry. Season all sides generously with sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Once hot, add the seasoned beef chunks in a single layer (work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding). Sear each side for 3-4 minutes until nicely browned.
• Remove the seared meat from the Dutch oven and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels.

3. Make Braising Liquid & Braise Beef:

• In the same Dutch oven (don’t wipe it out), add the diced ½ onion. Sauté over medium heat until fragrant and translucent, about 1-2 minutes.
• Add the prepared chili paste to the Dutch oven. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes, allowing the flavors to bloom.
• Pour in the 4 cups beef stock and 2 cups water. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Return the seared beef chunks (and any accumulated juices) to the Dutch oven. Stir again to coat the meat. Bring the liquid just to a simmer on the stovetop.

4. Braise in Oven:

• Cover the Dutch oven tightly with its lid. Carefully transfer the entire Dutch oven into the preheated oven.
• Let the beef slowly cook and braise for about 2 ½ hours, or until the beef is extremely tender and can be easily shredded with forks.

5. Shred Beef & Prepare Consomme:

• Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven.
• Remove the cooked beef chunks to a large bowl or cutting board, leaving the braising liquid in the pot. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
• Using two forks, shred all the meat until it has a “pulled” texture.
• Prepare Consomme: Skim any excess fat from the surface of the braising liquid remaining in the Dutch oven. Ladle about 1 cup (or more, as desired) of this rich broth (consomme) into a small bowl. Stir in some fresh chopped cilantro. Set this aside as your dipping sauce.
• (Optional: You can stir some of the shredded beef back into the main pot of consomme, or keep it separate depending on preference). For tacos, keep most shredded beef separate. You may want to lightly moisten the shredded beef with a spoonful or two of consomme.

6. Assemble and Fry the Tacos:

• Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and gently wipe it around the base with a paper towel (you only need a thin film).
• Carefully dip one corn tortilla briefly into the reserved consomme dipping sauce (just enough to moisten and color it).
• Place the dipped tortilla flat in the heated skillet. Immediately top one half of the tortilla with a portion of shredded beef, some diced onion (if using), chopped cilantro, and a generous amount of shredded Oaxaca cheese.
• Carefully fold the tortilla in half over the filling.
• Cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until the tortilla is slightly crispy and golden brown, and the cheese is melted and gooey. Flip carefully with a spatula.
• Remove the finished taco from the skillet and repeat the process with the remaining tortillas, beef, cheese, and toppings, adding a tiny bit more oil to the skillet as needed.

7. Serve:

• Serve the hot, cheesy Birria Tacos immediately.
• Provide small bowls of the warm consomme alongside each serving for dipping. Enjoy! Bon Appetit!