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📍 Tapalpa

Tapalpa-Style Borrego al Pastor (Lamb)

· Lunch

Lamb marinated and slow-cooked in a clay oven or over coals, with a smoky flavor and tender meat.

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Tapalpa-Style Borrego al Pastor (Lamb): Lamb marinated and slow-cooked in a clay oven or over coals, with a smoky flavor and tender meat.
Photo: ProtoplasmaKid · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto resized, converted to WebP and cropped for display.
⏱ 520 min🍽 8 servings📊 Difficult🏷 Commonly associated🌱 Gluten-free🌱 Dairy-free
Preparation
40 min
Cooking
240 min
Waiting and resting
240 min

History

In Tapalpa, the tradition of borrego al pastor dates back to the Cristero War era, when those who took refuge in the sierra made use of firewood and lambs. It is cooked slowly and served with frijoles charros, distinct from pit barbacoa.

Ingredients

Adjust quantities

Only numeric quantities at the start of an ingredient are adjusted. Descriptive quantities, seasoning to taste and timings remain unchanged; check them when changing servings.

Preparation

  1. 1

    Rehydrate the chiles and blend them with garlic, onion, spices, vinegar, and orange juice.

  2. 2

    Coat the meat with the adobo and let it marinate several hours or overnight.

  3. 3

    Arrange the lamb on a tray with avocado leaves and bay leaf.

  4. 4

    Cook slowly, covered, in a clay oven or over coals until the meat falls apart.

  5. 5

    Reserve the juices it releases to baste the meat when serving.

  6. 6

    Serve with frijoles charros, onion, cilantro, and warm tortillas.

Cooking tips

  • In a home oven, cook covered at 160 °C and add some water to the base if the juices reduce too far.

References to consult

References provide information about the dish, its context or a technique. Quantities in this version may differ from those in the source.

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