Fox Trot Farm Lamb Barbacoa
We loved the tender and juicy lamb barbacoa we ate in Mexico. It was served stuffed into the football shaped bolillo rolls, and on tacos, too. It was seasoned and moist with the most delicious brothy sauce and had the texture of Sunday roast beef. I had to ask how this wonderful dish was created. The answer was that the lamb meat quarters were slow roasted in a pit in the ground and the recipe ingredient list seemed as long as my arm. I feared it was beyond my ability to recreate this dish at home, but decided to give it a good try so I could share the recipe with you.
Instead of buying all the different dried chilis and starting from scratch, I decided to use a can of red enchilada sauce as the seasoning base. Easy for me because someone else already did all the work with the roasted chilis and many other ingredients. Instead of asking Farmer Bob to dig a pit in the yard for roasting, I decided to try the slow cooker in my kitchen. Good choice! (Farmer Bob agrees!) We think it turned out really tasty using our Fox Trot Farm bone-in leg of lamb, and we hope you give it a try.
Give me a call or text me at 803-804-3541 to reserve your pasture raised Fox Trot Farm bone-in leg of lamb before we sell out. You can pick it up by appointment here at the farm or at the Matthews Community Farmers Market on Saturday mornings till we sell out.
First, score your roast like this, rub in the salt, and let it rest while you get everything else pulled together.
Scored Fox Trot Farm lean leg of lamb
These plus the meat are all the ingredients that you need! Bet you have most of these ingredients already. You can use your beer of choice, but I sure wouldn’t use a lite or ultra beer because you do want flavor, right?
The ingredients for Fox Trot Farm Barbacoa
Once you add all the ingredients in the crockpot, it will be full.
Fox Trot Farm Lamb Barbacoa in Crock Pot
And then the result is tender, juicy, flavorful braised lamb, just ready for sandwiches, tacos, burritos, enchiladas or, best of all, simply spooned onto your dinner plate! If you have leftovers, just freeze the portions in the sauce and you will have an instant meal later. This is truly comfort food!
Here’s the recipe:
Fox Trot Farm Lamb Barbacoa
Equipment
- Depending on the size of the lamb leg, you will need a 6 or 8 quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 4-6 pounds Fox Trot Farm Lean Leg of Lamb
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 10 oz. can tomatoes with green chiles, such as Rotel
- 1 10 oz. can red enchilada sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 12 oz beer
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 large onion sliced
- 1 large orange sliced
Instructions
- Score and rub the 1 tbsp. salt into the meat as in the photo. Allow to rest at room temperature while you gather the rest of the ingredients together
- In a 4 cup measuring cup, combine the undrained tomatoes and chiles, enchilada sauce, honey, oregano, and beer.
- Place the roast in the slow cooker and slide the onion and orange slices all around between the meat and the wall of the slow cooker.
- Scatter the garlic slices around and on top of the roast
- Pour the enchilada sauce mixture over everything.
- Turn slow cooker to High setting for one hour to get everything heated up, then reduce heat to low and slow cook for 8-10 hours, till the meat is falling off the bone tender.
- Remove roast from slow cooker. Depending on the intended use, either pull it like pork or slice it in chunks.
- Strain the broth into a saucepan and reduce over medium high heat till the flavors are condensed to your liking, about 10 minutes or so. (Discard the solids.)
- Return meat to broth and allow to rest with no heat.
- Serve as desired. This freezes well for future meals.Enjoy!