Lamb Shank Barbacoa Street Tacos
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Recipe Provided By
Executive Sous Chef Sam WoodfillServings
50
Ingredients
- 10 dried guajillo chile peppers, stemmed and seeded
- 10 dried ancho chile peppers, stemmed and seeded
- 5 cups water
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 5 whole cloves, stems removed
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 Roma tomato, quartered
- 1/2 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2-1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 3 tablespoons safflower or vegetable oil
- 8 pounds bone-in American Lamb shanks
- Banana leaves (optional)
- Fresh or dried avocado leaves (optional)
- Citrus Purple Cabbage Slaw (recipe follows)
- Pickled Radish Crema (recipe follows)
- 50 white corn tortillas
Citrus Purple Cabbage Slaw:
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large carrots, grated
- 1/2 red cabbage, cored and shredded
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Pickled Radish Crema:
- 1 cup shaved radish
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1 quart Mexican crema
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
For Marinade: In a large heated skillet over medium heat, add Guajillo and Ancho peppers; toast for no more than 20 seconds per side.
In a medium saucepan, add peppers and water. Cook over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until peppers are softened and rehydrated. In a blender, add peppers, 2 cups of cooking liquid, vinegar, cloves, garlic, tomato, onion, oregano, salt, black pepper, cinnamon and allspice; puree until smooth. Wipe out saucepan; add oil. Heat pan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes; add pureed marinade. Partially cover; cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until color darkens and mixture thickens to a paste-like consistency. Set aside; cool for at least 1 hour.
Rinse lamb; pat dry. In a large non-reactive dish, add lamb; cover completely and rub marinade into lamb. Cover; refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.
In a large roasting pan, unfold banana leaves; arrange in layers on roasting rack leaving a generous amount of overlap on pan’s long sides for wrapping the meat. (Alternatively use long pieces of foil.) Place meat on top of leaves; use marinade to cover. Place avocado leaves on top of the meat; fold banana leaves over to cover meat. (Cover tightly with foil.) Slow roast for 8 to 10 hours, until meat easily comes off the bone. Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before opening banana leaves; discard leaves. Shred meat as desired.
Grill white corn tortillas until charred and hot, place 2 ounces of shredded lamb meat in taco shell. Top with Citrus Purple Cabbage Slaw and Pickled Radish Crema.
For Citrus Purple Cabbage Slaw: In a large bowl, whisk together orange juice, lime juice, oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Add carrots and cabbage; toss to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for at least 45 minutes. Fold in cilantro before serving.
For the Pickled Radish Crema: In a bowl, combine radish, lemon juice, vinegar and salt; let stand 1 hour. In a blender, combine radish mixture and crema; blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Chef Tips:
- Remove seeds and stems before toasting chiles.
- To simplify, use American Lamb precooked shoulder meat. Simmer the precooked American Lamb shoulder meat in marinade sauce for 30 minutes.
