1
Heat the oil in a large heavy oven‑safe pot over medium‑high heat and brown the stew meat on all sides for about 8‑10 minutes. Set aside.
2
Heat a pan over medium heat and toast the guajillo and ancho chilies for 2 minutes, watching that they don’t burn. If you want a spicier birria, add the arbol chilies. Transfer to the pot with a lid together with the tomatoes and onion. Peel the garlic and add it as well. Add 500 ml water, cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool.
3
Transfer the tomatoes, onion and chilies to a blender, reserving some liquid for cooking. Add the spices, vinegar and 2 tbsp of the liquid to the blender, then blend to a smooth puree. Preheat the oven to 140 °C/120 °C with fan/gas 1.
4
Return the meat to the pot over medium heat, add bone marrow discs, salt and bay leaf. Pass the resulting sauce through a sieve back into the pot to make it silky smooth. Add 1 liter of water and the remaining liquid. Cover and transfer to the oven for 3 hours, until the meat is tender and falling apart. After 1 hour 30 minutes, season to taste.
5
Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the broth, place on a board and shred with two forks. The broth should thicken.
6
To serve, place the shredded beef in a bowl, pour over the broth, garnish with cilantro, onion and a spicy salsa. Serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing. Alternatively, warm a corn tortilla, add some shredded birria, garnish with cilantro, onion and a splash of lime, and serve the broth separately in a small cup. To make a quesabirria, warm a corn tortilla, add grated mozzarella and some meat. When the cheese melts, drizzle 1 tbsp broth over and under the tortilla and serve the remaining broth on the side.

Source: bbcgoodfood.com

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