Beer Braised Lamb Tacos With Charred Green Tomato Salsa Recipes

CHILE BRAISED LAMB TACOS

Steps:

• For the braised lamb: Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the chiles skin-side up until fragrant and beginning to darken, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and pour enough boiling water to cover and soak until softened, about 15 minutes. Strain, reserving the water. Transfer the chiles to a blender or food processor along with 1/2 cup of the reserved steeping water, the cider vinegar, cumin, oregano and garlic. Process until a smooth paste forms. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Place the lamb in a Dutch oven and slather the chile paste over the shanks. Add the chicken stock. Bring the liquid to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer, cover with the lid and braise until the lamb is tender, about 2 hours 30 minutes.
• For the pickled peppers: Meanwhile, bring the lime juice, sugar and vinegar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Put the chiles in a separate bowl and pour the vinegar mixture over. Let cool for about 20 minutes. Discard the liquid before using.
• For the guacamole: Combine the cilantro, cumin, salt, tomatillos, garlic, avocado, onions, jalapenos and lime juice in a food processor or blender and pulse until combined and still somewhat chunky.
• For assembly: When cool enough to handle, remove the lamb from the braising liquid and shred. Once the lamb is removed, bring the braising liquid back to a boil and cook until it reduces to about 2 cups of liquid, 10 to 12 minutes. Return the shredded lamb back to the braising liquid in the Dutch oven. Toast the tortillas, if desired, over an open flame just until slightly charred. Fill each tortilla with some of the shredded lamb, guacamole, cilantro, radishes and pickled peppers and top with queso fresco. Repeat until all the tacos are assembled. Serve with lime wedges.

BEER-BRAISED LAMB TACOS WITH CHARRED GREEN TOMATO SALSA

Steps:

• If the lamb joint is tied, remove the string and discard. Put the lamb in a large roasting tin, skin-side down. Use a sharp knife to slash into the meat a few times. Mix the orange juice and zest and lime juice with the spices and a good pinch of salt then rub all over the flesh. Cover and leave in the fridge to marinate overnight.
• The next day, heat the oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Flip the lamb so it is skin-side up. Season the skin with salt and lots of pepper. Pour the beer into the bottom of the tin. Cover with a double layer of foil, then cook for 4 hours.
• To make the salsa, heat a griddle or heavy-based frying pan (or you can do this on the BBQ). Griddle the jalapeños until blackened on all sides, then drop onto a large sheet of foil and seal to make a parcel. Do the same with the onion, garlic and tomatoes, one by one, adding to the foil parcel (then resealing to keep the heat in) as they are charred. Let everything cool completely then de-stalk the chillies, remove the skin from the garlic cloves and cut the cores out of the tomatoes (and discard) and roughly chop. Put everything in a blender with the sugar, coriander and lime juice, and whizz until blended.
• To finish the lamb, remove the foil, turn up the heat to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and cook for another hour. Check the liquid in the roasting tin - it should be quite reduced by now. If not, put the lamb on a plate to rest and reduce the liquid on the stove until glossy. Return the lamb and pull into large chunks, tossing through the sauce.
• Toss the salad ingredients and serve with tortillas, lamb, salsa, soured cream and extra coriander.

BRAISED LAMB TACOS

Steps:

• Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, swirling the pan, until slightly darkened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, cinnamon stick, brown sugar, chile powder and tomatoes; whisk to combine. Put the lamb in a large nonreactive container and add the marinade; cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 48 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the lamb from the marinade and pat dry; reserve the marinade. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the lamb and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add the reserved marinade, the beer and jalapeno and bring to a simmer. Cover, transfer to the oven and braise until very tender, about 2 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Skim off any excess fat. Remove the lamb and pull the meat off the bone, discarding the bones and fat. Strain the liquid into a smaller pot and keep warm. Shred the meat with your fingers and transfer to a bowl. Pour the warmed braising liquid over the meat and toss to coat. Divide among corn tortillas and top with cilantro. Photograph by Charles Masters