Recipe provided by | Executive Sous Chef Sam Woodfill
Servings: 50
INGREDIENTS
10 dried Guajillo chile peppers, stemmed and seeded
10 dried Ancho chile peppers, stemmed and seeded
5 cups water
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
5 whole cloves, stems removed
3 garlic cloves
1 roma tomato, quartered
1/2 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2-1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3 tablespoons safflower or vegetable oil
8 pounds bone-in American Lamb shanks
banana leaves (optional)
fresh or dried avocado leaves (optional)
citrus Purple Cabbage Slaw (recipe follows)
pickled Radish Crema (recipe follows)
50 white Corn Tortillas
Citrus Purple Cabbage Slaw:
1/2 cup Fresh orange juice
1/4 cup Fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 tablespoons Brown sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
2 large carrots, grated
1/2 red cabbage, cored and shredded
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Pickled Radish Crema:
1 cup shaved radish
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 quart Mexican crema
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
METHOD:
For Marinade: In a large heated skillet over medium heat, add Guajillo and Ancho peppers; toast for no more than 20 seconds per side.
In a medium saucepan, add peppers and water. Cook over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until peppers are softened and rehydrated. In a blender, add peppers, 2 cups of cooking liquid, vinegar, cloves, garlic, tomato, onion, oregano, salt, black pepper, cinnamon and allspice; puree until smooth. Wipe out saucepan; add oil. Heat pan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes; add pureed marinade. Partially cover; cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until color darkens and mixture thickens to a paste-like consistency. Set aside; cool for at least 1 hour.
Rinse lamb; pat dry. In a large non-reactive dish, add lamb; cover completely and rub marinade into lamb. Cover; refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.
In a large roasting pan, unfold banana leaves; arrange in layers on roasting rack leaving a generous amount of overlap on pan’s long sides for wrapping the meat. (Alternatively use long pieces of foil.) Place meat on top of leaves; use marinade to cover. Place avocado leaves on top of the meat; fold banana leaves over to cover meat. (Cover tightly with foil.) Slow roast for 8 to 10 hours, until meat easily comes off the bone. Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before opening banana leaves; discard leaves. Shred meat as desired.
Grill white corn tortillas until charred and hot, place 2 ounces of shredded lamb meat in taco shell. Top with Citrus Purple Cabbage Slaw and Pickled Radish Crema.
Citrus Purple Cabbage Slaw: In a large bowl, whisk together orange juice, lime juice, oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Add carrots and cabbage; toss to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for at least 45 minutes. Fold in cilantro before serving.
Pickled Radish Crema: In a bowl, combine radish, lemon juice, vinegar and salt; let stand 1 hour. In a blender, combine radish mixture and crema; blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Chef Tips: Remove seeds and stems before toasting chiles. To simplify, use American Lamb precooked shoulder meat. Simmer the precooked American Lamb shoulder meat in marinade sauce for 30 minutes.
Recipe and image provided by the American Lamb Board