These delicious Barbacoa Lamb Chops with Salsa Borracha by Chiles and Smoke are packed with a variety of flavors. Talk about a perfect dish to get the festivities started!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Marinade Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves: About 4
Ingredients:
5 guajillo chiles, seeds removed
2 ancho chiles, seeds removed
2 plum tomatoes
1/2 white onion
2 cloves garlic, in husk
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons fine Kosher salt
1 rack of lamb, frenched (about 2 pounds)
1 tablespoon tequila reposado
Directions:
- Prepare the salsa marinade. Rinse the dried chiles and remove the stems and seeds. Pour very warm water over them in a non-reactive bowl and allow them to hydrate for about 10 minutes.
- Preheat the grill to high heat. Roast the tomatoes, onion, and garlic over the heat until everything is charred and soft, for about 6 minutes. The onion might take longer than the rest. Remove the charred husks from the garlic, the charred skin from the onion, and the skin from the tomatoes. Add them into a blender with the oregano, thyme, cumin, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Blend until mostly smooth and set aside to cool.
- Slice the lamb into individual chops. Place them into a resealable plastic bag and pour in just enough of the cool marinade to coat them. There will be at least half of it left over, we’ll use this to make the salsa borracha.
- Allow the lamb to marinade in the fridge for at least 45 minutes, up to 4 hours.
- Prepare the salsa while the lamb is marinating. Add the rest of the fresh marinade to a small saucepan with the tequila. Cook the salsa at a medium low heat, allowing the salsa to thicken for about 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust the flavor with salt if needed.
- Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Remove the lamb from the marinade and shake loose any excess sauce.
- Clean the grill grates well. Sear the lamb directly over the heat and allow it to cook for about 2 minutes before flipping. Continue to cook in this method while flipping until the lamb has developed a nice crust. For medium rare, remove lamb when they are about 130°F.
- Serve with the salsa borracha and a squeeze of lime.
Check out more holiday recipes from our Aspire Ambassadors here!
Brad Prose
Chiles and Smoke