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Lamb Barbacoa with Pico De Gallo & Mexican Street Corn

A month or so ago I found this fantastic authentic Mexican place in Toronto. The Lamb Barbacoa had to have been the best I’ve ever had. Not that I needed the excuse but I thought the long weekend would be a great time to give it a shot myself.

I started with a 10lb Lamb shoulder (Bone-In), trimmed to approx. 9.5lbs.

I built my adobo marinade using Guajillo chilies that I de-stemmed and toasted. I gave the shoulder a good rub with a generous amount of paste and allowed it marinate over night in the fridge.

I fired up the Kamado early Saturday morning. While coming up to temp, I wrapped the shoulder in Banana leaves and placed it in a roasting pan with some braising liquid.

I pulled the shoulder at 198 – 207 degrees IT (until the probe went in like butter). The cook lasted approx. 5 ½ hours @ 285 – 300 degrees.


After 2 hours of rest in the covered roasting pan, the lamb shoulder was pulled and served with fresh tortillas, pico de gallo, a galic lime crema and Mexican street corn.

The Corn was soaked in water for 4 hours and steamed in the husk for 30mins, allowed to rest for 15 mins, de-silked, buttered and back on the Kamado before being dressed with El Salvadorian Crema, Cotija Cheese, Smoked Paprika, Lime, Salt and Cilantro

Next to the tacos the corn was the BOMB!



Comments

  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,164
    Beautiful food and photography. 
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,167
    Dang- great cook and pics.  Magazine quality shots for sure.  Congrats.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Looks great!
    EggMcMcc
    Central Illinois
    First L BGE July 2016, RecTec, Traeger, Weber, Campchef
    Second BGE, a MMX, February 2017
    Third BGE, another large, May, 2017
    Added another griddle (BassPro) December 2017
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Wow! That looks and sounds amazing!!

    I had a leftover chicken thigh and some steamed broccoli. =)

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    Beautiful post, all around.

    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • saluki2007
    saluki2007 Posts: 6,354
    Bravo!
    Large and Small BGE
    Central, IL

  • 20stone
    20stone Posts: 1,961
    edited September 2017
    Three things that don't really go together, Toronto, authentic Mexican food, and  "lamb barbacoa".  That being said, as a guy that uses brisket for "Indian" food, I am totally down with protein switching*, and love what you did there.  I am totally going to give this a shot. 

    Thanks for sharing this.

    * tofu and beans excluded
    (now only 16 stone)

    Joule SV
    GE induction stove
    Gasser by the community pool (currently unavailable)
    Scale (which one of my friends refuses to use)
    Friends with BGEs and myriad other fired devices (currently unavail IRL)
    Occasional access to a KBQ and Webber Kettle
    Charcuterie and sourdough enthusiast
    Prosciuttos in an undisclosed location

    Austin, TX
  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
    Dude, that looks amazing.  Great cook. 
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    Phenomenal! Beautifully executed. I'm bookmarking this one.

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    20stone said:
    Three things that don't really go together, Toronto, authentic Mexican food, and  "lamb barbacoa".  That being said, as a guy that uses brisket for "Indian" food, I am totally down with protein switching*, and love what you did there.  I am totally going to give this a shot. 

    Thanks for sharing this.

    * tofu and beans excluded
    It gets better. Toronto has some of the best Indian Chinese food on the continent, since a large number of Chinese folks from Kolkata emigrated there. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • 20stone
    20stone Posts: 1,961
    caliking said:
    20stone said:
    Three things that don't really go together, Toronto, authentic Mexican food, and  "lamb barbacoa".  That being said, as a guy that uses brisket for "Indian" food, I am totally down with protein switching*, and love what you did there.  I am totally going to give this a shot. 

    Thanks for sharing this.

    * tofu and beans excluded
    It gets better. Toronto has some of the best Indian Chinese food on the continent, since a large number of Chinese folks from Kolkata emigrated there. 
    ...or you have that classic Bengali preparation, "currywurst" (courtesy of ze Germans)


    (now only 16 stone)

    Joule SV
    GE induction stove
    Gasser by the community pool (currently unavailable)
    Scale (which one of my friends refuses to use)
    Friends with BGEs and myriad other fired devices (currently unavail IRL)
    Occasional access to a KBQ and Webber Kettle
    Charcuterie and sourdough enthusiast
    Prosciuttos in an undisclosed location

    Austin, TX
  • 20stone said:
    caliking said:
    20stone said:
    Three things that don't really go together, Toronto, authentic Mexican food, and  "lamb barbacoa".  That being said, as a guy that uses brisket for "Indian" food, I am totally down with protein switching*, and love what you did there.  I am totally going to give this a shot. 

    Thanks for sharing this.

    * tofu and beans excluded
    It gets better. Toronto has some of the best Indian Chinese food on the continent, since a large number of Chinese folks from Kolkata emigrated there. 
    ...or you have that classic Bengali preparation, "currywurst" (courtesy of ze Germans)



    Lol move those fries a little closer and I see a "CurryWurst Poutine" in our future
  • JNDATHP
    JNDATHP Posts: 461
    Wow! Love it!
    Michael
    Large BGE
    Reno, NV
  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262

    @BigSmoooke   welcome to the forum.  That is one heck of a post - looks terrific.

    I'm in Phoenix, and I've never heard of Lamb Barbacoa.  Is that a trendy take on regular Barbacoa?  Have you ever seen it in Mexico?
    Phoenix 
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    blasting said:

    @BigSmoooke   welcome to the forum.  That is one heck of a post - looks terrific.

    I'm in Phoenix, and I've never heard of Lamb Barbacoa.  Is that a trendy take on regular Barbacoa?  Have you ever seen it in Mexico?
    Lamb is the staple protein for central Mexican barbacoa.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262
    blasting said:

    @BigSmoooke   welcome to the forum.  That is one heck of a post - looks terrific.

    I'm in Phoenix, and I've never heard of Lamb Barbacoa.  Is that a trendy take on regular Barbacoa?  Have you ever seen it in Mexico?
    Lamb is the staple protein for central Mexican barbacoa.

    Thanks.  Phx guy getting schooled on mexican from a guy in New Orleans - lol

    Phoenix 
  • 20stone
    20stone Posts: 1,961
    edited September 2017
    blasting said:
    blasting said:

    @BigSmoooke   welcome to the forum.  That is one heck of a post - looks terrific.

    I'm in Phoenix, and I've never heard of Lamb Barbacoa.  Is that a trendy take on regular Barbacoa?  Have you ever seen it in Mexico?
    Lamb is the staple protein for central Mexican barbacoa.

    Thanks.  Phx guy getting schooled on mexican from a guy in New Orleans - lol

    Note - TX guy also being schooled

    To be fair, there is a Chicago guy of decidedly-not-Mexican descent that schools a lot of people about authentic Mexican food:
    http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/oaxacan-lamb-barbacoa/

    Down here, barbacoa is (almost) always noggin de vaca buried in the ground with coals,  I use cheeka de vaca in a sous vide as an easier (and less gruesome) alternative.
    (now only 16 stone)

    Joule SV
    GE induction stove
    Gasser by the community pool (currently unavailable)
    Scale (which one of my friends refuses to use)
    Friends with BGEs and myriad other fired devices (currently unavail IRL)
    Occasional access to a KBQ and Webber Kettle
    Charcuterie and sourdough enthusiast
    Prosciuttos in an undisclosed location

    Austin, TX
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    20stone said:
    blasting said:
    blasting said:

    @BigSmoooke   welcome to the forum.  That is one heck of a post - looks terrific.

    I'm in Phoenix, and I've never heard of Lamb Barbacoa.  Is that a trendy take on regular Barbacoa?  Have you ever seen it in Mexico?
    Lamb is the staple protein for central Mexican barbacoa.

    Thanks.  Phx guy getting schooled on mexican from a guy in New Orleans - lol

    Note - TX guy also being schooled

    To be fair, there is a Chicago guy of decidedly-not-Mexican descent that schools a lot of people about authentic Mexican food:
    http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/oaxacan-lamb-barbacoa/

    Down here, barbacoa is (almost) always noggin de vaca buried in the ground with coals,  I use cheeka de vaca in a sous vide as an easier (and less gruesome) alternative.
    The gauntlet has been thrown. As soon as I figure out where the sprinkler lines run in the yard (and how to avoid them) we're digging a pit. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    20stone said:
    blasting said:
    blasting said:

    @BigSmoooke   welcome to the forum.  That is one heck of a post - looks terrific.

    I'm in Phoenix, and I've never heard of Lamb Barbacoa.  Is that a trendy take on regular Barbacoa?  Have you ever seen it in Mexico?
    Lamb is the staple protein for central Mexican barbacoa.

    Thanks.  Phx guy getting schooled on mexican from a guy in New Orleans - lol

    Note - TX guy also being schooled

    To be fair, there is a Chicago guy of decidedly-not-Mexican descent that schools a lot of people about authentic Mexican food:
    http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/oaxacan-lamb-barbacoa/

    Down here, barbacoa is (almost) always noggin de vaca buried in the ground with coals,  I use cheeka de vaca in a sous vide as an easier (and less gruesome) alternative.
    The gauntlet has been thrown. As soon as I figure out where the sprinkler lines run in the yard (and how to avoid them) we're digging a pit. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • 20stone
    20stone Posts: 1,961
    caliking said:

    The gauntlet has been thrown. As soon as I figure out where the sprinkler lines run in the yard (and how to avoid them) we're digging a pit. 
    It's on.  Moreover, lacking a pool, I have fewer water lines to dodge, and @20stonespice seems to have resigned herself to staying with me no matter what crazy crap I do (see "freezer, lowboy" or "wine fridge, charcuterie cave made from")


    (now only 16 stone)

    Joule SV
    GE induction stove
    Gasser by the community pool (currently unavailable)
    Scale (which one of my friends refuses to use)
    Friends with BGEs and myriad other fired devices (currently unavail IRL)
    Occasional access to a KBQ and Webber Kettle
    Charcuterie and sourdough enthusiast
    Prosciuttos in an undisclosed location

    Austin, TX
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    That is a masterpiece. Nice job! 


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • 20stone said:
    blasting said:
    blasting said:

    @BigSmoooke   welcome to the forum.  That is one heck of a post - looks terrific.

    I'm in Phoenix, and I've never heard of Lamb Barbacoa.  Is that a trendy take on regular Barbacoa?  Have you ever seen it in Mexico?
    Lamb is the staple protein for central Mexican barbacoa.

    Thanks.  Phx guy getting schooled on mexican from a guy in New Orleans - lol

    Note - TX guy also being schooled

    To be fair, there is a Chicago guy of decidedly-not-Mexican descent that schools a lot of people about authentic Mexican food:
    http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/oaxacan-lamb-barbacoa/

    Down here, barbacoa is (almost) always noggin de vaca buried in the ground with coals,  I use cheeka de vaca in a sous vide as an easier (and less gruesome) alternative.

    Lamb is absolutely a staple in central Mexican Barbacoa and I definitely stole a few notes from Rick Bayless. I also borrowed some flavor profiles from different parts of Mexico and I really paired down Rick's consommé in to a basic braising liquid. Using mainly beef stock, onions, a chipotle and some fresh herbs (cilantro, epazote, bay leaves). I would have really enjoyed digging a pit but i'll save that one for a whole hog.
  • bluebird66
    bluebird66 Posts: 2,716
    Great cook and very nice photography!
    Large Egg with adjustable rig, Kick Ash Basket and various Weber's
    Floyd Va

  • Great cook and very nice photography!
    Thanks!
  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    Man oh man that looks good. A great cook for sure. 
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon