Barbara Sibley, Mexican co-chef and co-owner of La Palapa restaurant in Manhattan and author of the forthcoming cookbook Antojitos (Ten Speed Press), offers this recipe for Ancho Chili Braised Barbecued Lamb Shanks.
|
THIS ARTICLE IS FROM
|
Ingredients:
20 chilis anchos
6 cloves of garlic
12 avocado leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 lamb shanks (1 pound each; can substitute goat, chicken or pork)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 quart of low sodium chicken stock or water
Directions:
Wipe chilis clean and toast gently in a large, heavy skillet or griddle. This prevents the chilis from making the sauce bitter. Place them in a glass or nonreactive bowl and pour two cups of boiling water over the chilis. Allow chilis to soften in this water. Remove the stems, veins, and seeds while keeping the chilis as intact as possible. Blend ten of the chilis and the roasted garlic with a few tablespoons of the soaking liquid, just enough to allow chilis to become pureed. Add salt. Set apart the remaining ten chilis to wrap around the lamb shanks. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 325˚F (162.7˚C).
Place olive oil in a medium roasting pan. Cover each lamb shank with chili ancho, garlic paste, and two medium avocado leaves, then wrap with one or more chilis anchos. Wrap with the skin of the chili facing out and the pulp side touching the meat being careful to cover the entire surface of the meat.
Transfer the lamb shanks to the roasting pan, standing them up with the meat side down and the exposed bone facing up. Pour in the chicken stock so that about two inches of the lamb shanks are covered. Cover the pan with foil creating a tight seal so that steam does not escape during the braising. Braise the shanks in the oven until tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
Transfer the lamb to an oven proof serving dish and spoon the braising liquid over the shanks. Reserve the braising liquid to serve on the side.
Servings: Serves six
More Mexico City Recipes:
