Our friend Sam over at Curio Spice Co has done it again with an incredibly flavorful new spice blend we're calling Cali Birria Blend!
This new blend is inspired by traditional beef birria from Jalisco, Mexico. It is an earthy and rich spice blend with a bright heat from our Comapeño chile powder. Birria is made by marinating beef in a chile and herb paste and then braising it in a chile broth. The braised beef can be served as tacos, eaten as a stew, or used to make Quesabirria (think quesadillas filled with the birria beef!). The flavors of this Cali Birria spice blend are perfect for seasoning beef before braising in stock.
Along with our Comapeño chile, this blend is filled with coriander, cumin, green onion, garlic, epazote, annatto, and cinnamon. While this blend's initial use is to make birria, it also is great mixed with ground beef for nachos, added to a pot of beans or refried beans, and with braised chicken. And I have to admit that I made the best lentil soup with it (add a Tablespoon or two to your sautéing veggies before adding stock and lentils!). We encourage you to be adventurous with it!
What We're Cooking
- We got our copy of Erin Alderson's new book "The Yearlong Pantry" in the mail this week and Gideon made us her Black Bean Smash Burgers and they were SO good. We used our Piment d'Ville and some of Shared Cultures Shishito Miso (it has our chiles in there!). You know a cookbook is good when the first recipe you try is a hit.
- Also got our copy of Julia Turshen's new book "What Goes With What" (and I have cut myself off from buying more cookbooks this year)! I have black beans leftover from the smash burgers so I might have to start with Julia's Black Bean + Cheddar Cornbread Pie this weekend!
- I'm still dreaming of the lentil soup I made with Cali Birria Blend 2 months ago when we were finalizing the spice blend. I'll probably make a big pot for next week!
- And I'm definitely scarfing handfuls of candy corn while watching Survivor because it is the supreme candy and somehow I got hooked back on the show on an airplane a few weeks ago and I cannot stop.
