028 SEPTEMBER 2019 MEN’S JOURNALFO
OD
ST
YLI
NG(^) BY
(^) L
AUR
A
REG
E.
PR
OP
ST
YLI
NG
(^) BY
(^) S
UM
MER
(^) M
OOR
E
FOR
(^) H
ONE
Y
ART
IS
T
Notebook FOOD
LAMB BARBACOA TACOS
Serves 8 to 12
For the adobo
2 dried guajillo chilies
1 white onion, peeled and quartered
2 tomatoes, cored and quartered
Grated zest of 1 orange
For the lamb
1 bone-in lamb shoulder, 6–8 lbs
Kosher salt and black pepper
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 carrots, thinly sliced
2 white onions, cut in 6 pieces each
6 cloves garlic, peeled
5 bay leaves
2 dried guajillo chilies
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns,
toasted and cooled
Lamb or chicken stock to cover
1 cup canned chickpeas
1.Make the adobo by soaking chilies
in simmering water for 2 minutes.
Strain chilies and place into blender
with onion, tomatoes, and orange
zest. Blend until smooth.
2.Season lamb with salt and pepper,
then rub with adobo. Marinate in
refrigerator for at least 30 minutes
and up to overnight. Af ter
marinating, wrap meat in
parchment paper and secure with
butcher’s twine.
3.Add oil to a large, heavy-bottomed
pot and set over medium heat.
Add carrots, onions, garlic, bay
leaves, chilies, and peppercorns
and saute 5 to 7 minutes. Place
lamb on top of vegetables and add
stock to cover meat half way.
- Lower heat to medium-low and
bring stock to a simmer. Cover pot
tightly. Simmer 3 to 4 hours. The
lamb is ready when a cake tester
can be inser ted with no resistance. - Remove pot from heat and allow
lamb to cool in its liquid. Remove
and unwrap lamb. Shred meat and
transfer to an airtight container.
Strain the pot, reserving liquid and
discarding vegetables. Ladle some
liquid over the lamb to keep it
moist. Add chickpeas to liquid and
adjust seasoning if necessary.
Serve with warm corn tortillas, lime
wedges, chopped cilantro and white
onion, and salsa, with warm
chickpea soup alongside.
EVERY PART OF Mexico has
its own style of barbacoa,” says
Mexico City chef Rodney Cusic,
co-owner of Meroma, in the capital’s hip
Roma neighborhood. “In Oaxaca, they wrap
the lamb in plantain leaves; in Texcoco,
they use maguey.” Fortunately, you don’t
need tropical foliage (or an underground
pit) to make delicious, falling-off-the-bone
barbacoa. Parchment paper, a sturdy pot,and your stovetop work perfectly for an
at-home version. At Meroma, Cusic makes
it for a staff meal because it’s good for a
crowd. A whole bone-in shoulder yields
about four to six pounds of meat, so invite
your friends. And serve it the traditional
way—alongside a bowl of the rich, f lavor-
ful braising liquid, or consomme, loaded
with chickpeas. “The possibilities,” Cusic
says, “are endless.” QTake your game to a higher level by swapping steak or shrimp
for lamb barbacoa, simmered low and slow. by ADAM ERACEThe New It Taco
photograph by CHELSEA KYLE