Lamb birria tacos

TIME4 hours MAKES12-16 tacos PORTION
0.5x 1x 2x 3x

Originally adapted from recipes by Andy Cooks and Brian Lagerstrom, but replacing the beef with lamb (which is easy to get in Australia and closer to the flavour profile of birria in western Mexico).

INGREDIENTS

  • 1.5kg lamb cut into 2-3 inch chunks (shoulder, loin, shank, leg are all good cuts)1
  • Corn tortillas
  • Oaxaca, Chihuahua, or Monterey Jack (grated)
  • 1 white onion (finely diced)
  • Coriander (roughly chopped)
  • Lime wedges

Braising liquid

  • 5 dried ancho chillies
  • 5 dried guajillo chillies
  • 2 dried chipotle chillies or chile de arbol
  • 1 large tomato
  • 1 large chipotle chile in adobo
  • 1 onion (roughly chopped)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 25ml apple cider vinegar
  • 250ml beef stock
  • Salt (to taste)

Spices

  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 bay leaves
  • 4 peppercorns
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried oregano

STEPS

  1. Place the lamb chunks on a baking tray, cover well with vegetable oil, and season on all sides with salt. Leave for 20-30 minutes. Then, grill in the oven for about 15 minutes until well browned.

  2. Toast the chillies in a frying pan until fragrant, and then transfer to a saucepan of boiling water. Reduce to a simmer, and leave for 10 minutes. Add the tomato for the last 2 minutes.

  3. Transfer the chillies, tomato, chipotle chile in adobo, onion, garlic cloves, and vinegar to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

  4. In a dutch oven or slow cooker, add oil and the adobo mixture and cook for about 5 minutes or so on medium heat. Add the lamb (making sure to deglaze the baking tray with hot water to catch any frond) and add to the pot. Add stock and water to cover the meat, as well as the whole spices placed in a bouquet garni.

  5. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook on the stove top with a lid on for 2-3 hours (or alternatively, you can place the pot in a 150ºC oven)2. Once the lamb is tender, salt to taste and leave the meat to rest in the sauce for 30 minutes - 1 hour.

  6. Transfer the lamb to a bowl and shred, adding about 1 cup of the braising liquid to keep the meat juicy. Skim the fat off the top of the braising liquid and reserve. Reserve and strain the remaining braising liquid for your consommé.

  7. To serve, dip a corn tortilla in the fat (or, if easier, use a sillicon brush to brush the fat on both sides of the tortilla) and place the tortillas in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place the shredded lamb on half the tortilla, followed by the shredded cheese, diced white onion, and coriander. Fold in half, and fry on both sides until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese has melted.

  8. Serve alongisde a bowl of the consommé topped with diced white onion and coriander(for dipping).

NOTES

  1. As a substitute for lamb, you can also use goat or beef — any cut good for slow cooking. ↩︎
  2. You can also pressure cook on high for 45 minutes. ↩︎

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