Lamb Birria
3 lbs lamb shoulder, shank, leg cut into 1- 2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon salt
pepper to taste
2 cups chicken stock, plus more for a brothier stew*
4 dried guajillo chiles
2 dried Pasilla chilies
1 small cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
8–10 peppercorns
1–2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 14-ounce can tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted (and juices), chopped
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon ground allspice
3-inch piece of orange zest (½ inch wide) use a veggie peeler
1 tablespoon honey
For more heat and smoky flavor - 1-2 teaspoons minced chipotle peppers or 2-3 tablespoons adobo sauce
Garnishes: Cilantro, Lime, chopped onions, radishes, cucumber, pickled onions, Mexican cheese, avocado, sour cream
Method:
Season meat with salt and pepper and set aside.
Snip the stem off the chili and shake out all of the seeds. It many be necessary to split the side to get them all out. Toast them in a dry large skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant and slightly darkened (do not burn- or they get bitter!). Place toasted chiles in a small pot with the chicken broth, bring to a simmer, cover, and let stand 20 minutes covered, turning the heat off, until softened.
In the same warm skillet, toast the whole spices cinnamon stick, cloves, cumin, coriander and peppercorns – until it smells amazing- 1-2 minutes, turn the heat off, set aside.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat and add onion and garlic, stirring and sauteing over a low heat until fragrant, tender and golden. Add tomatoes and their juices, simmer 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down, then add the vinegar, oregano, the toasted cinnamon stick, bay leaves and allspice. Stir and scrape up any browned bits using a wooden spoon. Turn heat off.
Place the rehydrated chilies and broth to the blender along with the toasted spices plus roughly one cup of the tomato mixture from the Dutch oven. Place a towel over the blender lid and hold it firmly down, starting on low, and increasing to high, blending until smooth. Turn blender off. Blend again until very smooth.
Pour this flavorful sauce back into the Dutch oven and stir. Add the salted meat and stir to coat well. Add the orange zest.
Cover the Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Place in a 350ºF oven and cook for 2 - 2½ hours until the meat can be easily shredded with a fork. Alternatively, it can be cooked on the stove top, turn down to a simmer over medium-low heat. Check at 1½ for dryness, adding a little more broth if necessary.
After the meat is shredded and mixed back into the cooking liquid, stir in the honey. Add more stock if you want a brothier stew. Taste, adjusting the salt, honey, or vinegar to your liking.
Serve in a bowl as a hearty stew or use inside tacos, accompanied by and your favorite rice and bean recipe.s
To make Quesabirria tacos: Strain out the shredded meat, reserving both the meat and the sauce. Dip a fresh tortilla into the rich broth and then fry in a skillet at a medium heat. Cover the tortilla with grated Oaxacan cheese. As it melts, place a spoonful of the shredded lamb birria on one half of the tortilla. Then fold it in half and serve with a bowl of the sauce for dipping.
*I made a lamb stock by roasting the bones from the shoulder.
Serves 6-8
Adapted from the website Feasting At Home