Slow Cooked Lamb Birria Tacos
Birria is a Mexican dish from the state of Jalisco. While not entirely traditional, our version uses minimal ingredients to achieve a mouthwateringly tender pot of lamb in a delicious broth. Once the slow cook is done, the fun begins: dip the tortillas into the spicy broth before frying in a pan and topping with cheese and spoonfuls of shredded lamb, top with lots of lime, radishes and coriander for freshness. ⭐️If you don't have enough time to slow cook the lamb, replace with a pre-slow cooked lamb packet, omitting the sauce packet. Heat in the oven with the same ingredients to make the broth.
Method
Based on 4 servings, adjust as needed.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 160°fan/180°C. Heat the oil in an oven-proof pot and fry the lamb in batches, getting a nice deep golden colour on each piece. Season well at this stage with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, slice the onion and quarter the tomato. Once browned, remove the meat from the pan and add in the onion, tomato and garlic. Fry for a few minutes to caramelise the veg then add in the tomato paste, chipotle paste and chilli flakes, if using. Add the lamb back to the pot and swish out the chipotle paste jar with a splash of water and add this in as well. Reduce the heat and cook this gently for a further 4-5 minutes. Pour in the stock and cover tightly with a lid. Bring to a simmer then transfer to the oven to cook for 1.5 hours or until the lamb is completely tender. Check the level of liquid halfway through cooking, if it's looking like it's drying out, add a further 100ml-150ml of stock (if cooking for 4). 👋 If you have a slow cooker, feel free to use it at this point!
Step 2
Once the lamb is ready, strain the meat from the liquid, reserving the cooking liquid. Shred the meat with two forks and add a spoonful of the liquid to prevent the lamb from drying out. Pour the remaining cooking liquid back into the pan and skim some of the excess fat from the surface with a spoon or ladle. Place the pan back onto a medium heat and reduce the liquid by 1/3rd.
Step 3
To make the slaw, thinly slice the cabbage and half the radishes. Add to a bowl along with 2/3 of the coriander. Squeeze over half the lime juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 4
To make the tacos, heat a small amount of oil in a non-stick pan. Lay in one tortilla at a time. Fill half the tortilla with some of the shredded meat and a sprinkle of cheese then fold the tortilla over to close it. Flip after a minute to brown the other side. Once the cheese has melted, remove from the heat and repeat the process with the remaining tortillas.
Step 5
Top the tacos with the remaining coriander, sliced radishes and finish with a squeeze of lime. Serve with the slaw alongside and a ramekin of the blended broth to dip the tacos into as you eat.
- Ingredients
- Based on 4 servings
-
800g Diced Lamb Shoulder 2x Sainsbury's British or New Zealand Diced Lamb Shoulder 400g -
2 Tomatoes, cut into 1/4s 2x Sainsbury's Tomatoes Loose -
4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and sliced 1x Sainsbury's Garlic -
2 tbsp Tomato Purée 1x Sainsbury's Tomato Puree, Double Concentrate 200g -
90g Chipotle Paste 1x Sainsbury's Spicy Chipotle Chilli Paste, Inspired to Cook 90g -
1/2 tsp Ancho Chilli Flakes 1x Sainsbury's Ancho Chilli Flakes 27g -
240g Radishes, finely sliced 1x Sainsbury's Radish 240g -
1 Bunch Coriander 1x Sainsbury's Fresh Packed Bunch Coriander 30g -
2 Limes, juice 2x Sainsbury's Limes -
250g Mozzarella, grated 1x Sainsbury's Grated Mozzarella Cheese 250g -
1 Onion, peeled and sliced 1x Sainsbury's Onions Loose -
800ml Beef Stock, (1 cube per 400ml) 1x Sainsbury's Stock Cubes, Beef 10x10g -
1 Red Cabbage, finely sliced 1x Sainsbury's Red Cabbage Each -
8 Mini Tortilla Wraps 1x Sainsbury's Mini Tortilla Wraps x8 -
Maldon Salt, to taste 1x Maldon Sea Salt Flakes 250g