Barbacoa de Borrego

Lamb shoulder slow-cooked in dried chillies and spices until it falls apart, wrapped in banana leaf.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 25 min
Cook: 4h
Total: 4 hours 25 minutes (plus overnight marinating)
Vegetarian
❌
Nuts
❌
Serves
8 people
Difficulty
Medium

Ingredients

  • 2kg bone-in lamb shoulder
  • 4 dried guajillo chillies, stalks and seeds removed
  • 3 dried ancho chillies, stalks and seeds removed
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp fine salt
  • 300ml beef or lamb stock
  • 2 pieces banana leaf, about 50cm square (frozen, from Asian supermarkets)
  • Corn tortillas, finely chopped onion, coriander and salsa verde, to serve
  • Lime wedges, to serve

Method

  1. Toast the chillies in a dry pan for 30 seconds per side, soak in hot water for 15 minutes and drain.

  2. Blend the chillies with the garlic, vinegar, cumin, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, salt and 100ml of the stock until smooth.

  3. Rub the paste all over the lamb, cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.

  4. Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan). Soften the banana leaves over a flame or in hot water and line a deep roasting tin with them.

  5. Place the lamb on the leaves with the bay leaves and the remaining stock. Fold the leaves over, then seal tightly with foil.

  6. Cook for 4 hours until the meat is falling from the bone.

  7. Shred the lamb, discarding the bones, and moisten with the cooking juices. Serve with tortillas, onion, coriander, salsa verde and lime.