Tag: lamb
Oaxacan Lamb and Goat Barbacoa
Oaxacan Lamb and Goat Barbacoa
Authentic barbacoa comes from the Oaxacan region of Mexico. It is traditionally made out of lamb or goat, but in the U.S., you’ll see it made out of beef. The main flavor profile of this meat comes from the ancho chilies, smokey chipotle peppers, and oranges used in the marinade. The meat is slow roasted with the marinade until it falls off the bone. It can be used in tacos, burritos, tortas, enchiladas, and much more.
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 2 lbs bone in lamb shoulder cut into large cubes
- 2 lbs bone in goat shoulder cut into large cubes
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large white onion thinly sliced
- 1 large orange thinly sliced
- bay leaves
Barbacoa Marinade
- 3 ancho chilies seeded
- 1 chipotle pepper with 2 tbsp of its juice
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 orange juiced
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp Mexican oregano
- 1 tbsp dried epazote
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Heat up the oil in a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add in the lamb and goat. Season with salt. Brown on all sides for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat. Remove the meat from the pan.
- Layer the onions, orange slices, and bay leaves in the bottom of the pan.
- Place the meat back into the pan.
- Purée the barbacoa marinade ingredients in a blender.
- Pour the marinade over the meat. Cover and place in a preheated 325 degree oven for 4 hours.
- Take out of the oven and allow to cool.
- Pull the meat off the bones and chop. Stir in some of the sauce from the pan.
Moroccan Offal Kebabs
Moroccan Offal Kebabs
Skewers of grilled organ meat are a common Moroccan street food. Typically you’ll see skewers of heart, kidney, and liver; beef or lamb; marinated with paprika, cumin, salt, and cayenne. Sometimes the each organ will be on it’s own skewer; sometimes they’re combined. Since the organ meats are fairly lean, pieces of fat trimmed from the kidneys are put in between each cube of meat on the skewer. This adds some flavor, adding to the richness of the offal.
Equipment
- metal skewers
Ingredients
- 2 lbs heart, kidney, and liver beef or lamb; trimmed; cut into cubes
- kidney fat
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Marinate the organ meat for an hour.
- Skewer the organs in this particular order: heart, fat, liver, fat, kidney, fat, heart, fat, liver, fat, kidney.
- Turn on your oven’s broiler. Place the kebabs on a rack on a baking sheet lined in foil.
- Broil for 10-12 minutes in total; turning every 2-3 minutes to ensure even cooking. Alternatively, you can grill the kebabs the same way over grey charcoal.
Lamb Mansaf
Lamb Mansaf
Lamb mansaf is a traditional Arab lamb and rice dish eaten all over the Middle East, but also happens to be the national dish of Jordan where it originated. Lamb is sautéed with onions, garlic, and spices; then simmered for a while, creating a stock. It is then strained and cooked with yogurt and some of the stock. The majority of the stock is used to cook basmati rice in. The rice is spread out on a big serving platter. The lamb and yougurt sauce is put over the bed of rice. It is then topped with an assortment of nuts sufh as pine nuts, almonds, cashews, and pistachios. The whole platter is garnished with freshly chopped mint and parsley. A lot of work, but unbelievably tasty!
Ingredients
Lamb Stock
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless leg of lamb cut into 1” cubes
- 4 cups water
Rice
- 1 cup basmati rice washed and rinsed
- 2 1/2 cups lamb stock
- salt and pepper to taste
Lamb Mansaf
- simmered lamb cubes
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup lamb stock
Toasted Nut Topping
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup pistachios
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup cashews
Garnish
- 1/4 cup mint chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
Instructions
Lamb Stock
- Heat up the olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add in the onions and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and bay leaves. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste. Add in the lamb and briefly brown for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for an hour.
- Strain the stock from the meat.
- Seat the meat aside.
Rice
- Soak the rice for an hour while the stock is simmering. Drain.
- Add the rice to a pot with 2 1/2 cups of the reserved stock. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes until the stock is absorbed.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Lamb Mansaf
- Add the strained lamb, Greek yogurt, and 1 cup of lamb stock to a sauté pan over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and cardamom pods.
Toasted Nut Topping
- Add the nuts to a small skillet over medium heat. Dry toast the nuts for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
