INGREDIENTS
Lamb
2-3 pounds boneless American lamb shoulder
4 garlic cloves
1 large yellow or white onion
1/4th teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/4th teaspoon cumin
1/4th teaspoon crushed chipotle chili
1/2 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups red wine
2 cups water
Pinch of sugar
Salt to taste
Salt and pepper brine overnight
Charred Tomato Salsa
6 medium sized red tomatoes
1 jalapeños (halved and deseeded, leave all seeds if you want it extra spicy)
3 garlic cloves
1 white onion, roughly chopped
1 small handful of cilantro
Juice of 2 limes
Pinch of sugar
Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
The night before you’re ready to make your lamb, pat dry and season throughout with salt and pepper for your dry brine. Cover. Place in the fridge until ready to use. (This is OPTIONAL, but ensures flavor throughout all parts of the lamb!)
In a deep pot or a dutch oven, heat a drizzle of neutral oil until piping hot. Take your lamb and char on all sides - about 8-10 minutes on each side, until browned completely. Adjust timing if you need to char a little longer.
Once browned, add in your garlic, onions, ancho chili powder, cumin, crushed chipotle chili and vinegar. Mix until combined with the lamb about 3-4 minutes.
Add in your red wine and water. Season with salt and sugar. Mix and make sure everything is combined. You want liquid to be covering all the lamb. Adjust with more water if needed.
Bring to a boil, and then place on medium low for about 1 hour. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
After about an hour, place your braised lamb in the oven for another 2- 2.5 hours. Check on your lamb every 30-40 minutes, give it a mix. You will know when the lamb is ready and braised when it is fork tender, and falls off easily when forked.
Remove your lamb from the oven and shred all your lamb, set aside until ready for serving!
Salsa
In a cast iron skillet, toss in your tomatoes, jalapeños, garlic, onion and salt and pepper. Char on your stovetop or BBQ grill until browned and charred throughout. Let cool.
In a blender, add all of the charred ingredients, a handful of cilantro, lime juice, sugar and salt to taste. Set aside in the fridge to chill. This will make about 2 cups, you can save the rest for serving and for chips!
Serve on charred corn tortillas and top with cilantro, queso fresco, chopped onions, and halved cherry tomatoes.
