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Lamb Barbacoa (or beef) with Mexican Green Rice Recipe

Tender, slow-roasted lamb or beef barbacoa made in a Dutch oven with a rich, smoky marinade and served with vibrant Mexican green rice—perfect for a dinner date or casual dinner for two.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Author: Pam Werley

Ingredients

  • ¾ to 1 lbs lamb or beef - shoulder roast chuck roast, or use stew meat (lamb or beef, cut into 2-inch pieces) or one my favorites a lamb shank
  • 1 teaspoons salt one teaspoon salt per pound of meat
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons ghee is best for high heat like searing or olive oil
  • one small onion sliced
  • 1 orange peeled and sliced
  • 1 bay leaves

Garnishes (optional)

  • Cilantro , onion, avocado, feta cheese, lime slices, tortillas

Barbacoa Marinade:

  • 1 Tablespoon Ancho Chile Powder or If you cannot find any specific Mexican chili powders see notes below for substitutes.
  • 1 chipotle pepper from a can plus 1 tablespoons of the chipotle "juice" (you can always add more at the end of cooking if not sure) for smoky, deep flavor.
  • 2 cloves of garlic peeled and smashed
  • ½ cup red wine
  • ½ cup beef stock or use better than bullion and water
  • Juice from one orange or sub ¼ cup lime juice
  • 1 tablespoons ground cumin or toast whole seeds and grind
  • 1 tablespoons ground coriander or toast whole seeds and grind
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Mexican epazote
  • ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/16 teaspoon ground clove
  • ½ teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar honey or maple syrup

Mexican Green Rice:

  • ½ cup rice
  • 1 garlic clove chopped
  • 1 Shallot roughly chopped
  • 1 green chili deseeded and roughly chopped (optional)
  • 1 cup cilantro or parsley leaves and stems
  • 2 cups spinach leaves packed
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups chicken stock or use better than bouillon and water
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or lime juice

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325F. Score the fat of the lamb, if using. Generously season all sides of lamb or beef with salt. And sprinkle with pepper.
  • Barbacoa Chipotle Marinade: Add marinade ingredients to the blender. Blend until smooth, for a full minute.
  • Sear the meat. Heat a skillet or dutch oven to medium-high heat and add some oil or ghee (best for high heat). Sear the meat, patiently browning each side to create a deep-colored crust. This is the secret to sealing in the juices and creating good, deep flavor.
  • Once all sides are seared, nestle the seared meat in the dutch oven over a layer of sliced onion and sliced oranges. Add bay leaves. Pour the marinade over top. Use a pastry dish to thoroughly coat everything.
  • Bake. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil, place lid over foil and bake in oven for 2-3 hours, or until meltingly tender. Bone-in roasts will take longer.

Mexican Green Rice:

  • Start making the rice in the last 45 minutes of roasting. Rinse the rice under cold water and leave to drain.
  • Place the garlic, shallot, chili (if using), cilantro (or parsley), spinach and 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a blender and blitz until you have a bright-green puree.
  • Heat the remainder of the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the rice and stir for a few moments. If the rice starts to stick splash some more olive oil in the pan. Cook until the rice starts to turn golden. Pour green puree into the rice and cook for another minute or two, then add the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes then turn off the heat, keeping the lid on, and leave to steam for another 15 minutes. Uncover, add rice vinegar, fluff with a fork, season to taste. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

Notes

Chili Substitutes:  1 dried ancho chili = 1 Tablespoon chili powder. So try Ancho Chile Powder it has a sweet, raisin like flavor making this an excellent choice for the marinade.
If you cannot find ancho chili powder, combine the following:
• Paprika + Cumin + Cayenne: Mix 2 teaspoons of paprika (for base/color), 1 teaspoon of cumin (for earthiness), and a ¼ teaspoon of cayenne (for heat) to replace 1 tablespoon of chili powder.