Barbacoa, a delicious dish from Hidalgo, Mexico, is traditionally cooked underground for twelve hours. This recipe, inspired by northern Mexican Barbacoa, involves marinating lamb in an ancho chilli and spice adobo, then slow-cooking it in the oven. The result is tender, mouthwatering meat, perfect for enjoying with tomato rice & corn tortillas. Recipe by Mexicanfoodmemories.
Main INGREDIENTS
- Meat
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
For the Lamb Barbacoa:
- 2 kg Lamb leg cut in 10 cm cubes
- 2 ancho chillies, cleaned, seeds and stems removed
- 2 small tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 small onion, cut in half
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 3 black peppercorns
- 2 cloves
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp salt flakes
- 350 ml lager
For the Tomato Rice (Optional):
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- ¼ onion, finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 cup of long grain rice, washed
- 1 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups of hot boiling water
To serve:
- Corn tortillas
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 small bunch of coriander, chopped
- Spicy salsa of choice
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Method
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1Lamb Barbacoa:
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2Preheat the oven to 190 C/170 C fan/Gas 5. Place the pieces of lamb into the cast iron round casserole.
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3Put the cleaned ancho chillies in a bowl and pour some hot water to rehydrate them. Leave them in the hot water for 10 minutes.
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4Once the chillies are soft, place them in a blender and add the vegetables and spices. Blend until getting a smooth consistency and pass the sauce through a sieve to remove any seeds.
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5Pour the adobo over the pieces of lamb and mix well to cover them with it properly.
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6Add the salt and the beer, mix well and put the lid on. Place in the oven for 2 hours and 15 minutes.
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7Just before taking the lamb out of the oven, heat the tortillas, covering them with a tea towel to keep warm. Chop the vegetables and have the spicy salsa ready.
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8Remove from the oven and take the pieces of lamb out of the casserole, shred the meat and serve on a platter, pouring some of the juices over it.
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9Place the dish in the middle of the table, together with the toppings and let everyone help themselves to barbacoa tacos!
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10Tomato Rice (Optional):
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11When the lamb is almost cooked, start cooking the tomato rice. Heat the oil over medium heat and fry the onion and garlic for a minute, making sure not to burn them.
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12Add the long grain rice that has been washed previously and mix with the vegetables. Fry this for about a minute before adding the concentrated tomato puree and salt.
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13Fry all the ingredients for one more minute, making sure to coat all the rice grains with the tomato puree.
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14Lower the heat and then pour the hot boiling water, put the lid on and let the rice cook for around 10 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
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15Leave it to rest for 10 minutes undisturbed and then fluff it with a fork.
Cooks Tip:
Once the lamb is cooked, make sure that it is tender and the meat shreds easily. If not, place it back into the oven for a little longer, as all ovens are different.
You can serve the barbacoa with a delicious tomato rice on the side.
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