BBQ Slow Cooked Lamb Barbacoa
Barbacoa is one of Mexico's oldest cooking traditions. Meat slow-cooked until it's so tender it pulls apart with nothing but a fork. The BBQ adds a layer of smokiness that a kitchen oven simply can't replicate, and our Barbacoa Recipe Kit does the heavy lifting on flavour so you can focus on the occasion.
Yes, it takes time, but the effort involved is minimal. Trust us it's worth it.
Serves 4
Prep 10 mins
Cook 3 - 3.5 hrs
Ingredients
1 x 1kg Lamb Shoulder
1 Cup Water
1 x pack of Corn Tortillas or Soft Taco Wraps
Optional to serve:
Pickled Red Onions ( 1 x sliced red onion, juice of one lime, olive oil and salt to taste)
1 x jar of Chipotle, Tomatillo or Mango Salsa
150g Crema (you can use either of our Avocado or Chipotle Crema recipes or your own)
Chopped Coriander
Finely diced Brown Onion
Squeeze of Lime
Method
- Prepare your BBQ for indirect cooking and stabilise the temperature at 160°C. If using a charcoal BBQ, bank the coals to one side and add a couple of chunks of smoking wood. For a gas BBQ, light one side only and cook over the unlit side.
- Rub the leg of lamb with olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Coat with the aromatics and paste sachets from the taco recipe kit, then place the lamb in a BBQ-safe roasting tray. Pour remaining sauce sachet from the 2 x Barbacoa Recipe Kits into the base of the tray, add one cup of water and cover the tray tightly with heavy-duty foil.
- Place the tray onto the indirect side of the BBQ, close the lid and cook for 2.5-3 hours. Halfway through the cook, carefully turn the lamb over, reseal the foil and continue cooking until the meat is tender enough to pull apart with a fork.
- Once the lamb is tender, remove the foil and brush the lamb generously with the cooking juices, making sure to coat every nook and cranny.
- Increase the BBQ temperature to 200°C, or move the lamb closer to the heat while keeping an eye on it. Cook uncovered for 20–30 minutes, brushing with the cooking juices if desired, until the outside is caramelised, sticky and lightly charred.
- Warm the Corn Tortillas directly on the BBQ grill for around 20 seconds per side, then wrap them in a clean tea towel to keep warm.
- Carefully remove the lamb from the BBQ, transfer to a serving platter and shred with two forks. Spoon over some of the cooking juices. If you prefer a thicker sauce, simmer the remaining juices until reduced.
- Serve with the warm Corn Tortillas, reduced cooking juices and plenty of fresh lime wedges. Let everyone build their own tacos and enjoy!
