• In a slow cooker add water, beef chunks (cut into 4-inch cubes), onion, garlic, salt, black peppercorns, bay leaves, oregano, marjoram, mint, and thyme (if using).
• Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
• Remove the beef and shred the meat and discard fat pieces. Season to taste, then return the shredded meat to the slow cooker with the broth.
• Use a fine mesh strainer to remove peppercorns, bay leaves, and vegetable solids from the broth. Discard the solids and reserve the smooth broth (consommé) for serving.

Red Chile Sauce

• Remove stems, seeds, and veins from the chile pods. Place in a colander and rinse well with cool water.
• Add chiles, garlic, onion, and water to a large pot. Bring water to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes turn the chiles over with tongs to make sure the chiles soften evenly. Tip: Don’t rush the chile sauce — simmering develops deeper flavor. Allow time to cool down before blending. Do not discard water.
• Once cooled, place the chiles, garlic, onion, and liquid in blender with salt. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt after cooking, once flavors have concentrated.
• Strain red chile sauce through a fine sieve into the slow cooker and stir. This broth is the "consommé". Discard skins and seeds. 

Stew

• Serve birria (shredded beef) in a bowl with broth as a stew with diced onion, radishes, and fresh cilantro and serve with corn tortillas.

Tacos

• Heat a comal (cast iron griddle) over medium-low heat. 
• Use the top layer of fat from the consommé (broth with red chile sauce) to dip tortillas for crispy birria tacos.
• Place on the comal and top with cheese if making quesatacos (cheese birria tacos). Add shredded beef over half the tortilla and chopped cilantro and onion. Drizzle the beef with a little more consommé.
• When the cheese is melted, fold each tortilla in half. Cook, flipping halfway through, until browned and slightly crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Serve tacos garnished with additional diced onion, cilantro, and lime wedges, and small bowls of warm consommé (beef broth red chile sauce mixture) for dipping.