loosely followed Rick Bayless “Birria de Chivo” (slow-steamed goat with mild chile seasoning) recipe from his “Authentic Mexican” cookbook [p. 256], see http://www.greencitymarket.org/recipes/recipedetail.asp?id=45
Ingredients
- 1 kg goat ribs
- 6 dried red chillis (eg guajillo, with 1 chipotle for a bit of smokiness)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2-3 tsp red recado
- 1 large onion
- 2 TB dark agave syrup
- 2 TB cider vinegar
- oregano, hoja santa, epazote (and/or a bay leaf and half stick of cinnamon)
Directions
- Trim goat of excess fat and remove skin from backsides of bones.
- cut open the chilies, remove seeds, cut into smallish pieces. Soak in warm water for 10-30 minutes to soften.
- Blend with garlic, the spice mix, vinegar, agave syrup, enough water to make a spreadable paste.
- spread over goat on all sides. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, but a few hours or overnight would be better.
- Reserve the rest of the paste for the final sauce.
- Line the bottom of the crock pot with a thickly sliced onion. Season with oregano, hoja santa, epazote.
- Sprinkle Goya adobo seasoning (or salt and pepper) over the goat, and place on top of onion. Add a bit of water to moisten onion, but not enough to reach the meat, which should steam not boil.
- Cook on high for 3 hours. Make sure seal is tight.
- Remove meat and set aside to rest. If desired, brush on a bit of the sauce as a glaze and run under broiler to set.
- Finish the sauce by skimming off excess fat from pan drippings, remove stems or other inedibles, and add to blender with the cooked onion and the reserved marinade paste. Pass through mesh strainer, and adjust seasonings. Should be mildly hot, creamy from the onion, and rich from the meat juices. Serve as dipping sauce for the meat.
Notes
1. This would be good with other parts of the goat, or with lamb shanks
2. I didn’t marinate the meat in advance, just slathered on the sauce and started cooking.
Aardvark Eats & Drinks 