Description
A simple, delicious Oaxacan style Barbacoa Recipe made with lamb or beef in a flavorful Oaxacan marinade. Slow roast it in the oven, use a slow cooker or your instant pot.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs beef or lamb – shoulder roast, chuck roast, or use stew meat (cut into 2-inch pieces)
- 4 teaspoons salt (one teaspoon salt per pound of meat)
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
- one large onion, sliced
- 2 oranges, divided
- 4 bay leaves
Barbacoa Marinade:
- 2–4 dried ancho chilies -or sub other dried chilies like chipotles, guajillo chilies or chili negros.
- 1–2 chipotle peppers (from a can) plus 2–3 tablespoons of the chipotle “juice” ( you can always add more at the end of cooking if not sure)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock, beef stock, or use bouillon cube and water
- Juice from one orange (or sub 1/4 cup lime juice)
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin (or toast whole seeds and grind)
- 2 tablespoon ground coriander (or toast whole seeds and grind)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoons dried oregano or Mexican epazote
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (white or apple cider), more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. (See note for Slow cooker and Instant Pot)
- Make the marinade. De-stem the dried chilies, break them in half, and discard the seeds ( you don’t need to remove every single one, a few strays are totally OK). Break the chilies apart into smaller pieces and add to the blender (dry) with the remaining marinade ingredients. Blend until smooth, for a full minute.
- Generously season all sides of the meat with salt and pepper.
- Heat a skillet or dutch oven to medium-high heat and add oil. Sear the meat, patiently browning each side to create a deep-colored crust. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP -it is the secret to sealing in the juices and creating good flavor.
- Once all sides are seared, nestle the seared meat in the dutch oven over a layer of sliced onion and oranges. Add bay leaves. Pour the marinade over top and give a stir to coat.
- Cover tightly and bake in a 325F oven for 3½-4 ½ hours. Bone in roasts may take longer. See notes on timing.
- Barbacoa is done when the meat pulls apart easily with two forks. Pull the meat off the bones and discard any fat. Shred into smaller pieces and place into an oven-proof serving dish.
- Strain 1-2 cups of the marinade and pour over the meat keeping it juicy.
- Taste the barbacoa and adjust salt and heat. If it tastes bland add salt.
- Keep warm in oven until ready to serve. I like to leave this uncovered so the meat gets a little crispy on the top.
Notes
Roasts: You can use bone-in lamb shoulder like you see here ( this is a 4 ½ pound bone-in roast). Or for ease and faster cooking, you can have your butcher cut the bone out and roll into a boneless “roast”. Or use a beef shoulder or chuck roast. Cooking times will vary based on weight and cut. Allow 3- 3 1/2 hours for 3-4 lb boneless roast. Allow 4-4 ½ hours for a 5-6 lb bone-in roast. I always plan for an extra hour, just in case.
Stew meat: For faster cooking, you can also use stew meat (cut into 2-inch chunks). Roast in a Dutch Oven until tender, 1-2 hours. Or use in a slow cooker or Instant pot ( 50-55 minutes)
Instant Pot: Make the marinade. De-stem the dried chilies, break them in half, and discard the seeds (you don’t need to remove every single one, a few strays are totally OK). Break the chilies apart into smaller pieces and add to the blender (dry) with the remaining marinade ingredients. Blend until smooth, for a full minute. Brown the meat. Season the whole roast with salt and pepper. Set Instant Pot to saute function. Add oil and sear both sides until deeply golden. Set the roast aside, or scoot aside, add ½ cup broth, scraping up any browned bits– this will prevent burn notice. Slice the onion and other orange and add these to the instant pot. Place the roast over top. Pour the marinade over top.. If needed, add a little more water to get the liquid to almost the top of the roast. Tuck in the bay leaves. Set to pressure cook on high heat for 80 minutes. (20 minutes per pound of meat) Naturally release. Shred with two forks, Adjust salt, vinegar and heat to taste. Place on a platter, straining some of the cooking liquid and pour over the top to keep it juicy. Garnish with cilantro, lime wedges.
Slow Cooker: You can also cook this in a slow cooker using stew meat (cut into 2-inch chunks). Season meat with salt and pepper mix, add the marinade, place in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours on low heat.
Epazote is a Mexican herb that really bumps up the flavor and authenticity of this recipe. It can sometimes be found at Mexican Markets. Or try growing it from seed!
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 351
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 756.8 mg
- Fat: 16.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.9 g
- Fiber: 2.8 g
- Protein: 40.5 g
- Cholesterol: 131 mg