Mexican
Barbacoa
Deeply seasoned barbacoa steamed low and slow until the chile-marinated meat turns lush, aromatic, and collapse-tender.
8 servings · 55 minutes prep · 360 minutes cook
Ingredients
Main
- 4 1/2 lb lamb shoulder, lamb neck, or beef cheeks
- 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1 dried morita chile, stemmed
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 3 cloves
- 3 avocado leaves or bay leaves
- 2 banana leaves or parchment paper
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas, optional
Directions
Method
- Preheat the oven to 285°F while preparing the chile adobo.
- Toast the guajillo chiles, pasilla chiles, and morita chile until the skins darken slightly and become pliable, with a toasted aroma but no scorched spots, 20-30 seconds per side. Soak in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain.
- Blend the soaked chiles, apple cider vinegar, garlic, kosher salt, Mexican oregano, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, and 1 cup of the water until smooth. Strain the adobo.
- Coat the lamb shoulder, lamb neck, or beef cheeks with the adobo. Line a Dutch oven with the banana leaves or parchment, then add the remaining water, optional cooked chickpeas, avocado leaves or bay leaves, and the meat.
- Fold the leaves over the meat, cover tightly, and bake at 285F until the meat collapses under a fork, 5 1/2-6 hours.
- Remove the meat and shred it coarsely. Strain the cooking liquid, skim excess fat if needed, and season the consome to taste.
- Moisten the meat with a little consome and serve hot with more consome alongside.
