Barbacoa de borrego (lamb barbacoa, Hidalgo)

Ingredients

• 2–2.5 kg bone-in lamb shoulder, leg, or mixed cuts, cut into large bone-in pieces; lamb head and offal included where available
• 6–8 large maguey leaves (agave pencas), outer thorns trimmed; wiped clean; enough to fully line and cover the pot
• For the consomé (drip broth)
• 1 clay pot or deep oven-safe vessel with lid, placed beneath the meat to collect dripping broth during the cook
• 500 ml water, added to the drip vessel before cooking begins
• To serve
• 12–16 fresh corn tortillas, warmed to order
• 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only, roughly chopped
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• 250 ml salsa borracha, pulque-based salsa with pasilla negro; prepared separately

Method

1. 1
   Heat the oven to 110–130 °C. Singe the maguey leaves directly over a gas flame or under a hot grill for one to two minutes per side until they turn dark, soften, and release their moisture — the leaves should be pliable enough to bend without snapping.
2. 2
   Set a small clay pot or heatproof vessel containing 500 ml of water on the base of a large clay pot or deep lidded casserole. This drip vessel will collect the consomé throughout the cook; do not omit it.
3. 3
   Line the walls and base of the large pot completely with singed maguey leaves, overlapping generously so no metal or clay is exposed. Lay the lamb pieces — shoulder, leg, and any offal — directly onto the leaf lining without any marinade, spice rub, or seasoning. Cover the meat with the remaining leaves, tucking them down the sides to seal the parcel entirely. Set the lid on the pot and seal the join with a flour-and-water paste or press a sheet of foil tightly under the lid to contain all steam.
4. 4
   THIS IS WHERE THE DISH LIVES OR DIES. Slide the sealed pot into the oven and hold it at a steady 110–130 °C for a minimum of ten hours, twelve preferred. The seal must not be broken during this time; escaping steam ends the subterranean effect that defines barbacoa. At ten hours, lift one corner of the leaf cover — the meat must fall from the bone at the lightest touch and the broth in the drip vessel below must be deep amber and aromatic.
5. 5
   Remove the pot from the oven. Lift away the maguey leaves and transfer the meat to a board; pull it into coarse shreds with two forks, keeping bone fragments aside. Pour the collected consomé from the drip vessel into warmed bowls — it is served as a soup alongside the tacos, not poured over the meat. The broth should be clear, dark gold, and carry the full lamb-and-maguey scent.
6. 6
   Serve the shredded barbacoa on warm corn tortillas, each topped with finely chopped white onion and cilantro only. Place salsa borracha and lime wedges at the table. The consomé is drunk from the bowl between tacos.