Jonathan Zaragoza is a Chicago-based chef who got his start in professional kitchens working at the Michelin-starred Sepia and Sixteen, before becoming the chef of Masa Azul at 22. Jonathan’s path has taken him throughout Mexico, deep into its rich culinary heritage, to bring its traditions with him to London, Dubai, Paris, and the U.S.

Jonathan Zaragoza

You’d be hard-pressed to find a dish that’s blown up in popularity quite like birria in the past few years. Tacos, pizza, ramen—<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYey8ntlK_E">we can <s>pickle </s>birria that!</a> And if you’ve had birria, odds are that you’ve enjoyed this beefy braised version from Northern Mexico, rather than the OG <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/recipes/goat-birria">goat birria from Jalisco</a>.Let’s get this out of the way: Beef birria is legit, it’s delicious, and, for most folks, it’s more approachable than goat. Beef is easier to source, and this version takes one day to make instead of three. This is a great introduction to birria, and you can always graduate to the G.O.A.T.

Tijuana-Style Beef Birria