This hearty lamb barbacoa is perfect for taco night and it requires just a few minutes of hands-on preparation thanks to the magic of your slow cooker. When simmered low and slow over the course of a few hours the lamb becomes juicy, succulent, and fall-apart tender. The secret to the lamb’s flavor is in the piquant paste made of onion, tomato, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, and a variety of herbs and spices. Combine these ingredients in a food processor before adding to the slow cooker with your favorite beef broth, cloves, and bay leaves.

After cooking for five hours the lamb should be fork-tender and ready to eat. To serve, place in corn tortillas and top the meat with some avocado and this tangy cilantro pesto, and you’ve got a flavor-packed dinner that won’t overheat your kitchen during the hot summer months.

Photo by Lacy Kiernan

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Ingredients

  • 3 pounds New Zealand lamb shoulder, cut off the bone
  • 1 sweet onion, chopped
  • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
  • 8 ounces tomato paste, canned
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 3 teaspoons cumin
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 3/4 cup beef stock
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves, stuck into a potato or other root vegetable

Directions

  1. Combine onion, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic, salt, and oregano in a food processor. Blend until well combined and mixture forms a paste.

  2. Transfer paste to slow cooker and add half of beef stock. Place meat into slow cooker and add more stock until the meat is submerged. Add cloves and bay leaves, and cook on low for about 5 hours.

  3. To serve, add meat to corn tortillas and garnish with avocado, cilantro pesto, and toppings of your choice.

Nutritional Information

Calories
456
Total Fat
21g
Saturated Fat
6g
Cholesterol
154mg
Sodium
492mg
Carbohydrates
13g
Dietary Fiber
3g
Sugars
4.5g
Protein
52g
YIELD:

6 servings