Beef quesabirria pizza with consomme dip

Saute onion and ginger in a little olive oil over medium-high heat with salt until they begin to turn translucent, a couple of minutes.

Add garlic, chili powder, black pepper, oregano, cumin, cinnamon and ground clove; stir and saute about one minute.

Add the crushed tomatoes, a big splash of water rinsed from the can, and the bay leaves; stir.

Cut the beef chuck along the natural seams, then into roughly two inch pieces of even size, and add to the pot without browning.

Add optional carrot and celery, the white vinegar, honey and beef broth; stir and bring to a simmer.

Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer one and a half hours.

Uncover, stir and simmer gently on low about another hour and a half or longer, until the meat is fork tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened. Skim off fat as it simmers and save it.

Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and let it cool.

Ladle out about a cup and a half of the thickened sauce for pizza sauce.

Thin the remaining sauce with more beef broth for the consomme and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, adjusting thickness with broth.

Press and stretch eight ounces of pizza dough into a circle about 12 inches across and transfer to a cornmeal-lined baking sheet.

Spread on some sauce, leaving at least a half inch unsauced at the edge for dipping. Scatter the grated cheese, then the pickled peppers, then torn pieces of beef.

Warm the skimmed fat until brushable and brush it on the crust and the beef.

Bake in the upper center of a 500 degree oven about 12 minutes.

Set the pan over a flame for a minute or two, moving and spinning it, to toast and crisp the bottom of the crust.

Brush more birria fat onto the beef, garnish with diced white onion and torn cilantro, cut into six slices and serve with hot consomme (strained, optionally) and lime.