Mike Ledford

Don’t forget the consomme for dipping and sipping

As the birria de res taco (or “red taco”) craze continues sweeping the nation, Eater Carolinas went in search of birria and quesabirria tacos around Charleston. Originating in the Mexican state of Jalisco and traditionally made as a savory, chile-laden stew using goat meat, birria eventually traveled north to Tijuana becoming a street taco, and then to Los Angeles, where it really took off in America. The Tijuana-style birria de res taco sees goat, lamb, and now beef slow cooked with chiles until the meat forms a brick-red stew that can be eaten as is or encased within a tortilla which has been dipped into the mixture and griddled. To create a quesabirria taco, the tortilla is dipped in birria broth and griddled, before being topped with meat and cheese and then folded into the now crunchy, red-tinged tortilla. It’s pure