So I've mentioned that I have all this lamb in my freezer, and some of it is in cuts that you don't see too often at the grocery store, like lamb shoulder. I've seen lamb shoulder chops occasionally, but never a whole shoulder at my local Harris-Teeter. Lamb shoulder, like pork shoulder, takes well to braising, but when I've tried that with the chops I feel like I just get tiny bits of meat and lots of sharp bone fragments. I found this recipe for Lamb Barbacoa and it came out great. My shoulder was just under 2 lbs, but I made the recipe pretty much as written. In addition to queso fresco and chopped avocado (tossed with lime juice, salt and pepper) I also served it with pickled red onions (from Smitten Kitchen - note that the recipe is part of a charred cauliflower taco recipe, I just quadrupled it) and this Cilantro Lime Slaw.
Lamb Barbacoa Tacos
- 3 –5 lb lamb shoulder ( mine was bone-in, just under 2 lbs)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- one large onion, sliced
- one orange, sliced
- 3 bay leaves
Marinade
- 2 dried ancho chilies -stems removed, seeds removed. No need to rehydrate.
- 1 chipotle pepper (from a can)
- 4–6 cloves garlic
- 2 cups water
- Juice from one orange
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoon whole coriander
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (I used Diamond Crystal)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Score the fat on the lamb. Generously season all sides of the lamb shoulder with salt. Set aside while you make the marinade.
- To make the marinade, de-stem the dried chilies, break them in half and discard the seeds ( you don’t need to remove every single one, a few strays are OK). Break the chilies apart into smaller pieces and add to the blender (dry) with the remaining ingredients. Blend until very smooth, for a full minute. (Note: I toasted the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan briefly before I added them to the blender)
- Heat a dutch oven to medium-high heat and add oil. Sear the salted lamb shoulder, patiently browning each side to create a deep colored crust.
- Once all sides are seared, remove dutch oven from heat. Nestle the onion and orange slices all around the lamb shoulder along with bay leaves. Pour the marinade over top and shake the pan to get the marinade to the bottom.
- Cover tightly and bake in a 325F oven for 3½-4 ½ hours (mine was done in 3.5 hours)
- Roast is done when meat pulls apart easily. Pull the meat off the bones and discard the bones along with any large chunks of fat. Shred lamb and place into a serving dish. Strain the remaining marinade and pour over the meat keeping to keep it moist (I didn't get very much here!). (Note: I parked this in the fridge overnight and we had it the next day. I heated it up on the stove before making tacos.)
Cilantro Lime Slaw
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage 2%)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise (Hellman's Light)
- 1/2 cup tightly-packed fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- 3 green onions (just the green parts) -I think I subbed some garlic scapes here -’tis the season
- 2 garlic cloves
- (optional) 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, stemmed and cored (I used a few good shakes of Tapatio)
- 8 cups shredded cabbage (could also use a bag of coleslaw mix)
Directions
- Combine the Greek yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt, black pepper, green onions, garlic and jalapeño (if using) in a blender or food processor*. Pulse briefly a few times until the mixtures is combined.
- Place the cole slaw mix in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the sauce on top of the cole slaw, then toss until the mixture is evenly combined. Season with extra pepper and/or lime juice if needed.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Some pics! With and without slaw:
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