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Barbacoa de borrego
Slow-cooked lamb
Barbacoa de borrego: Hidalgo's slow-cooked lamb in leaves with its chickpea consommé, oven version
In Actopan and the towns of Hidalgo, Sunday starts with barbacoa: lamb wrapped in maguey leaves and cooked overnight in an earth pit, with a pot underneath catching the juices for a rich consommé of chickpeas, rice and guajillo. This home version wraps lamb shoulder in banana leaves and cooks it low and slow in the oven over the consommé. The meat is pulled into tacos with onion, cilantro and salsa, and the broth is sipped alongside. Chef's tip: seal the pot well with foil under the lid so no steam escapes; the lamb should cook in its own vapour.
- Total time
- 450 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the lamb
- 4 ⅜ lb bone-in lamb shoulder
- 1 tbsp coarse salt
- 6 cloves garliccrushed
- 4 large banana leavessoftened over a flame
For the consommé
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 3 dried guajillo chilesstems and seeds removed
- 14 oz cooked chickpeasdrained
- 2 carrotsdiced
- 2 ⅛ oz long-grain rice
- 1 white onionchopped
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp salt
To serve
- 1 white onionfinely chopped
- ⅔ oz fresh cilantro (coriander)chopped
- 1 cup salsa roja
- 3 limesin wedges
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rub the 4 ⅜ lb bone-in lamb shoulder all over with the 1 tbsp coarse salt and 6 cloves garlic.
5 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 325°F. Toast the 3 dried guajillo chiles on a dry comal for 15 seconds a side, then blend with a little of the 6 ¼ cups water until smooth.
5 minStep 3: Put the rest of the 6 ¼ cups water, the chile purée, 14 oz cooked chickpeas, 2 carrots, 2 ⅛ oz long-grain rice, 1 white onion, 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano and 1 tsp salt in a large, deep ovenproof pot. Set a rack or steamer basket over the liquid.
5 minStep 4: Line the rack with the 4 large banana leaves, scatter on the 6 dried avocado leaves or bay leaves leaves, lay the lamb on top and fold the leaves over to wrap it. Cover the pot tightly with foil and then the lid.
10 minStep 5: Cook in the oven for 6–7 hours, until the meat falls from the bone at a gentle pull. Opening the pot to check every hour lets the steam out and dries the meat, so resist until at least 5 hours.
400 minStep 6: Lift out the lamb, shred it and discard the bones. Skim the fat from the consommé and season to taste.
10 minStep 7: Serve the meat in warm 24 corn tortillas with 1 white onion, ⅔ oz fresh cilantro (coriander), 1 cup salsa roja and 3 limes, with small cups of hot consommé on the side.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does barbacoa de borrego take?
- About 450 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 420 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of dried avocado leaves or bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
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