For a case of the morning-afters, Mexicans believe that the best cure is a bowl of hot and spicy broth. On Sundays you’ll find the bleary-eyed, hard-partying denizens of Mexico City seeking out restorative traditional soups like the tripe-based menudo, also known as pancita; caldo tlalpeño, made with chicken; and birria.
Birria, which means “mess,” is a typical rustic dish from the western state of Jalisco, where it’s made with goat. In Mexico City, however, birria is most commonly made with beef, mutton or pork. And many birria lovers in this town swear by Birria Santa Bárbara in Colonia Verónica Anzures.
Santa Bárbara is an unpretentious establishment that has been serving the same dish for a long time. Miguel Medina, a Mexico City native, started the taquería 35 years ago using the birria recipe he learned from relatives. Now the baton has been passed to his son, Carlos, whom people refer to as el taquero, without losing any of the quality upon which Miguel built the business.
Gloria, our amiable waitress, told us that Santa Bárbara makes a Jalisco-style birria, and that the only variant from the classic one is the meat used (the taquería’s sign sports a horned ox, front and center). The broth is made by boiling beef with dried chilies such as guajillo and ancho and a mix of thyme, bay leaf, oregano and the sarsaparilla-flavored hoja santa (Piper auritum). It’s served with chunks of roast beef, and customers can add lime juice, chopped onion, cilantro and different types of salsas.
Santa Bárbara also offers birria tacos. Beef is cooked with the same combination of spices and dried chilis used for the broth, and a small bowl of the broth is served alongside for dipping so eaters can juice up their tacos with extra flavor.
When we mentioned that we were going to Santa Bárbara, everyone told us that we couldn’t miss the chamorros. Big enough for two, the hefty pork shank is steam-cooked with birria spices for a long time until it’s remarkably tender and thoroughly infused with earthy complexity and heat. We tore off chunks and happily devoured them with the handmade tortillas and a small bowl of broth.
Thus fortified, we were ready to face the week. And we’re certain that, whether you’re hungover or not, Santa Bárbara’s birria will cure whatever ails you.
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