Lamb Barbacoa From The Backyard Grill Barbacoa De Borrego Recipes

LAMB TACOS (BARBACOA STYLE)

Steps:

• Rehydrate the anchos and chipotles in a bowl and cover with hot, boiling water. Soak the chiles until they are soft, about 20 minutes.
• Add the chiles, paprika, oregano, cinnamon and garlic to a food processor. Pour in the oil and process until smooth. If the puree is too thick, add a tablespoon or 2 of the chile soaking liquid to thin to desired consistency.
• Place the lamb in a roasting dish and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Pour the puree on top, cover and marinate in the fridge for 3 to 4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Thaw the banana leaves (if frozen) by running them under warm water. Line a turkey roaster or braising dish with the banana leaves, slightly overlapping them on one another.
• Remove the lamb from the marinade and place on the banana leaves. Wrap up the lamb with the banana leaves, tucking in the edges so it is completely covered. Add 1 1/2 cups water to the baking dish, then cover the entire pan with aluminum foil.
• Bake until the meat is tender and falling apart, 4 hours. Remove the foil and open the banana leaves. Shred the lamb with a fork and season with salt and lime juice. Serve with the warm flour tortillas, cilantro leaves, queso fresco, radishes and onions and pair with the Malbec.

LAMB BARBACOA FROM THE BACKYARD GRILL: BARBACOA DE BORREGO

Steps:

• Preparing the grill and the soup ingredients: About 30 minutes before cooking, prepare a charcoal fire, letting the coals burn until they are covered with a gray ash and are medium-hot. Bank the coals on 2 sides of the lower grate to prepare for the indirect cooking that follows.
• In a 12 by 9-inch, heavy-duty aluminum-foil pan (or something similar), combine the potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, garbanzo beans, and epazote. Position the pan in the center of the lower grate and surround with the coals. Pour water into the pan to about 1-inch from the top (it'll take about 5 cups). Position the cooking grate 8 inches above the coals and set an oven thermometer on it, if you have one.
• Grilling the meat: Sprinkle the lamb liberally with salt. Lay the roast in the center of the cooking grate directly over the soup, cover the grill, and cook, maintaining a moderately low temperature (between 250 and 300 degrees F), checking every 30 minutes and adding coals as needed. The lamb will be beautifully smoky-roasted, it'll register about 170 degrees F on a meat thermometer and be fall-apart tender in about 2 1/4 hours. Be sure to check the slow-simmering soup that's capturing all those lamb juices periodically, to ensure the liquid level remains more or less the same, adding more water if it's needed.
• Finishing the dish: With a couple of meat forks or spatulas, remove the roast to a platter. Sprinkle with salt and let rest, tented with foil, in a warm place for about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, with the precision of a steady-handed circus performer, carefully remove the pan of soup from the bottom of the grill. Skim off the fat that is floating on the surface, then taste and season with salt, usually about 3/4 teaspoon. Stir in the cilantro and finely chopped chipotle and ladle into small, warm soup cups.
• Scrape the salsa into a serving dish and sprinkle with cheese. Remove the string from the lamb. Slice the lamb into good, thick slabs and arrange on a warm platter that's lined or decorated with parsley, banana leaves, or lemon leaves. Strew the olives around the platter and carry to the table with a flourish. Serve each guest a cup of soup, and pass the meat, salsa, and lots of warm tortillas for everyone to make delicious soft tacos.

BBQ GOAT OR LAMB: BARBACOA DE CORDERO

Steps:

• Toast chiles, cover with boiling water in a deep bowl, and set aside for 20 minutes. Grind cumin, cloves, allspice, and oregano in coffee grinder. Drain soaked chiles, puree in blender the chiles, ground spices, thyme, garlic, onion, vinegar, and 1/2 cup of water. Process until smooth Push mixture through a sieve, season goat with salt and pepper. Rub paste all over the meat. Arrange in a bowl and allow to marinate for 4 hours, refrigerated.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a deep roaster pan scatter half of the avocado leaves on the bottom, place meat on top of the avocado leaves and scatter the remaining leaves over the meat. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Cook the goat 6 to 7 hours until meat is falling off the bone. If using lamb shoulder cook for 4 hours.