Braised Lamb Tacos

These braised lamb tacos are served with a minted sour cream. This is the essential topping for this dish, so don’t leave it out. In the recipe I tested from Mexico in Mzansi, a 3 kilogram bone in lamb shoulder was called for to make 15 tacos. I used a 1 kilogram bone in lamb shoulder, as that is what was in my freezer. This filled 12 tacos with leftovers!

Braised Lamb Tacos
Braised Lamb Tacos
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Let’s talk tacos

Despite trying several time, I have never managed to make tacos using masa harina. However, for this one item I am willing to cheat and buy them ready made. The ones I get take under 5 minutes to bake, making tacos an easy meal for me. These traditional Mexican antojitos can be filled with beef, pork, chicken, seafood, vegetables and even a mixture of beans. Best enjoyed when eaten by hand you need to find the happy medium of filling them, but not overloading your tortilla shell. Garnishes include pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, and chillies. Add chopped coriander and a squeeze of lime juice and you have the perfect meal.

What about sour cream?

David grew up on a farm where milk came from cows, not bottles! The cream they had in the kitchen was skimmed off the top of the milk. Had it been left to ferment naturally, it would have turned into sour cream. The sour cream we buy in stores is prepared by adding an acid producing bacterial culture to pasteurised cream. During fermentation, this bacteria develops and thickens the cream as well as making it more acidic. This in turn preserves the cream. Sour cream is added to both savoury and sweet dishes but in my kitchen I prefer using crème fraîche which is less sour and has a higher fat content.

Take a look at this inspiring recipe for ♥ Braised Lamb Tacos ♥ from Lavender and Lime #LavenderAndLime Share on X

Braised Lamb Tacos

 

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Braised Lamb Tacos

The minted sour cream takes these from great to awesome
Recipe Category: Meat
Makes enough for: 4 people
All Rights Reserved: Adapted from Mexico In Mzansi page 47

Ingredients

For the marinade

  • 60 mls rose harissa
  • 30 mls olive oil
  • 15 mls coconut sugar
  • 5 mls ground cumin
  • 5 mls smoked paprika
  • 5 mls fine salt
  • 5 mls freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 2.5 mls ground coriander
  • 1.25 mls ground cinnamon

For the lamb

  • 30 mls canola oil
  • 1 kg bone in lamb shoulder
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
  • 2 red onions, peeled, trimmed and quartered
  • water to cover

For the pickled red onions

  • 250 mls water
  • 60 mls apple cider vinegar
  • 5 mls fructose
  • 1.25 mls fine salt
  • 1 red onion, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced

For the minted sour cream

  • 175 g sour cream
  • 5 g mint leaves
  • ½ lemon, juice only

To serve

  • 5 g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
  • 2 Mediterranean cucumber, ribonned
  • 12 corn tortillas cooked as per package instructions

Method

For the marinade

  • Place the harissa, oil, sugar, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic, coriander, and cinnamon into a bowl
  • Whisk to combine and set aside

For the lamb

  • Preheat the oven to 190° Celsius
  • Place an oven proof roasting dish onto your stove top, add the oil and heat over a medium temperature
  • Season the lamb generously and brown on all sides
  • Remove the roasting pan from the heat and rub the marinade over the lamb
  • Add the onions and enough water to cover the bottom ¼ of the meat
  • Cover with foil and place into the oven for 3 hours
  • While the lamb is cooking start on the garnishes

For the pickled red onions

  • Place the water, vinegar, fructose and salt into a small pot
  • Bring to the boil over a high temperature
  • Add the onions, boil for 10 seconds then remove from the heat
  • Pour the onions and pickling liquid into a metal bowl and set aside to cool *

For the minted sour cream

  • Place the cream, mint and juice into a blender and blend until smooth

To serve

  • Remove the lamb from the oven and transfer to a cutting board to cool slightly
  • Place the roasting pan back onto your stove top and reduce the liquid over a medium temperature to thicken
  • Shred the lamb into a heated serving bowl and strain the thickened sauce over the lamb
  • Stir gently to mix the sauce through the lamb and adjust the seasoning if necessary
  • Scatter the coriander on top and add the cucumber ribbons then take to the table
  • Scoop some of the lamb into a tortilla, top with the pickled onions, add some minted sour cream and enjoy!

Notes

* If there any any left over, place into a sterilized glass jar, refrigerate and use as needed. See this post on how I sterilize my glass jars.
See the links below for blog posts I published on October 29:

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10 thoughts on “Braised Lamb Tacos

  1. What a fascinating list of ingredients!!! I love lamb, and I know I’d love this. I don’t make my tortillas any longer. They’re just too available where I live, which is close to Texas!

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