Lamb Carnitas
Submitted by Annette.Albon
Lamb carnitas braised in milk with coriander, savory, and bay leaves until fall-apart tender. Served in tortillas with broiled onions, tomatoes, sour cream, and salsa.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
40 minCOOK
4 hrsREADY
5 hrsCarnitas usually means pork, but lamb takes this Mexican classic in a richer, gamier direction that’s worth exploring. Cubed lamb stew meat gets browned hard in olive oil, then braised in milk with bay leaves, ground coriander, and dried savory until it’s falling apart.
Braising in milk sounds unusual, but it’s a technique borrowed from Italian cooking (think: maiale al latte). The milk proteins break down during the long, slow cook and create a deeply savory, almost gravy-like sauce. The milk also tenderizes the lamb and mellows its strong flavor, making it approachable even for people who say they don’t like lamb.
The uncovered final 45 minutes is when the magic happens. The milk reduces and concentrates, the edges of the lamb start to caramelize, and the meat gets that shreddy, pull-apart texture that carnitas demand.
Broiled onions and tomatoes served alongside add a charred sweetness. Scoop the lamb and onions into warm tortillas with sour cream, salsa, and a side of slow-baked lima beans.
Pro Tips
- Brown the lamb in batches without crowding. Overcrowding steams the meat instead of searing it, and you lose all that flavorful crust.
- Add milk in two stages as directed. The first half braises under the lid. The second goes in uncovered, allowing it to reduce into a thick, concentrated sauce.
- Broil onions and tomatoes at the last minute. They should be charred but still have some crunch. Five minutes under the broiler is plenty.
Variations
- Goat carnitas: Swap lamb for goat meat if you can find it. Goat braises beautifully and is more traditional in Mexican cooking.
- Cumin and chile twist: Add ground cumin and ancho chile powder to the braising liquid for a more Southwestern flavor profile.
Ingredients
Directions
Place limas in oven proof casserole, and barely cover with water.
Bake at 350 deg. 2 hours, adding 1 tes. salt after 1 hour.
Check from time to time, and add water if necessary if beans dry out.
Meanwhile, heat one tbles. oil in large, heavy skillet over high heat on stove.
Add some lamb without crowding, and brown well in batches on all sides, adding extra oil as necessary.
When all the lamb is browned, transfer meat to cast iron Dutch oven or casserole, along with remaining teaspoon salt, pepper, bay leaves, coriander, savory, and ½ cup milk.
Cover and bake 30 minutes.
Remove cover.
Add remaining ½ cup milk, and continue to cook 45 minutes more, until meat is falling apart and tender.
Remove from oven.
Cover, and keep warm.
Meanwhile, peel onions and halve them from tip to root.
Place cut surface down on work surface and sliver each from tip to root.
Toss with 1 teas. oil, set aside.
Halve the tomatoes crosswise.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with some oil.
Set aside.
When it’s time to put dinner on the table, preheat broiler.
Place onions in heat resistant dish, and place under broiler.
As tops begin to color, remove from oven, toss onions and then put back into oven.
Continue this process, stirring until onions are tender, about 5 minutes.
Place tomato halves on top of onions, and return to broiler for about 3 minutes, until they wilt.
Do not let them burn.
Arrange onions and tomatoes on plate.
Serve lamb in one covered casserole and lima beans in another.
Scoop up some meat and onions and wrap in tortillas.
Serve with sour cream and salsa along with the lima beans as a side dish.
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