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Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder Tacos con Todo

Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder Tacos con Todo

Name: Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder Tacos con Todo
Prep time: 4 h
Cook time: 4 h
Yield: 12
Ingredients: Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder; 50g Ancho chillies, whole, dried, deseeded and toasted; 50g Guajillo chillies, whole, dried, deseeded and toasted; 5g Morita chillies, whole, dried, deseeded and toasted; 1L Vegetable stock; 20g White sesame seeds, toasted (sesame); 20g Cumin seeds, toasted, ground; 10g Ground all spice; 20g Fine sea salt; 2 Oranges, sliced; 1kg White onion, peeled and quartered; 8 Bay leaves; 3kg Lamb shoulder, deboned; 10g Fine sea salt; 3g Black pepper, freshly ground; Salsa Verde; 120g Parsley, picked; 40g Coriander, picked; 10g Garlic, peeled; 10g Ground cumin; 20g Dried oregano; 1pcs Lemon, zested and juiced; 200g Extra virgin olive oil; 30g Apple cider vinegar (sulphur dioxide); 10g Fine sea salt; 40g Capers; Shallots and Coriander; 400g Shallots, peeled, finely diced; 20g Lime juice, freshly squeezed; 5g Fine sea salt

Rather than the usual roast, this dish transforms lamb into a melt-in-your-mouth, flavour-packed taco filling, slow-cooked until irresistibly tender. Infused with dried chillies, spices and cooked to perfection, this lamb pairs beautifully with three salsas and fresh corn tortillas, making it a deliciously unexpected way to enjoy a holiday classic.

Tacos are all about sharing, which makes them perfect for your upcoming festive gathering. Whether you're hosting an Easter celebration or simply looking to switch up your Sunday roast tradition, these tacos offer an exciting, crowd-pleasing alternative. Fire up your Ooni, gather your family and friends and get ready to enjoy an unforgettable feast that puts a new spin on lamb!

This recipe takes inspiration from the rich tradition of Mexican barbacoa, a cooking method that dates back to the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. Traditionally, barbacoa involves slow-cooking meat, often lamb, in an underground pit lined with agave leaves allowing it to become incredibly tender while absorbing deep, smoky flavors.

Lamb barbacoa, in particular, is a specialty in central Mexico, especially in the states of Hidalgo and Puebla, where it is often served with handmade tortillas, fresh salsas, and a variety of toppings, what Mexicans call “con todo” (with everything). This style of eating is all about gathering, sharing, and savoring every bite, perfect for Easter celebrations.

By bringing this idea to the Ooni oven, this recipe fuses tradition with modern cooking offering a unique and delicious way to enjoy lamb with family and friends. It’s a nod to history while embracing a fresh, exciting approach to the upcoming holiday.

Prep Time: 4 Hours Total

Cook Time: 4 Hours Total

Difficulty: Medium

Servings: 12

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Method

1

Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder

Pre-heat the Ooni oven to 260'c.
Remove the stem of the ancho, guajillo and morita dried chillies and then remove the seeds from inside of them.
Place the chillies onto a baking tray and put them into the oven at 260'c for 30 seconds.
In a jug, make 1L of vegetable stock using boiling water and mix well to combine.
Immediately add the toasted chillies and submerge them for 30 minutes by placing a piece of baking paper on top of the chillies with a small weighted object on top.
After 30 minutes, add the stock and chillies to a blender.
Blend on a high speed for 1 minute until you have a smooth deep red sauce.
Place a sieve over a bowl.
Pour half the sauce into the sieve and using a spatula, work the sauce through the sieve.
Discard the skins and seeds remaining in the sieve and then pass the remaining half of the sauce in the same way.
Add the toasted sesame, ground cumin, all spice and salt to the sauce and mix well.
Place the sliced oranges, onions and bay leaves in the bottom of the Ooni roasting tin.
Place the lamb on top and season the lamb with salt and black pepper on all sides.
Place the lamb into the oven at 260'c to sear the meat for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove from the oven and turn the lamb over placing immediately back into the oven for a further 10 minutes.
Remove the lamb from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Turn the oven to 160c.
After 5 minutes, coat all sides of the lamb with the chilli sauce massaging it thoroughly into the meat and all the hidden crevasses.
Place a large baking tray into the bottom shelf of the oven and fill it with warm water to provide some moisture and steam throughout the cooking process.
Cover the lamb with tin foil and place it into the oven at 160c for 4 hours.
Every hour, top up the water in the bottom baking tray.
After four hours, remove the lamb from the oven and allow to cool under the tin foil at room temperature whilst you make the salsas.
2

Salsa Verde

Place all the ingredients except for the capers into a blender.
Blend on a high speed for 1 minute until you have a smooth, dark green sauce.
Taste and if needed, adjust the seasoning or consistency.
Place into a bowl and add the roughly chopped capers mixing well to combine.
Set aside and make the next salsa.
3

Shallots and Coriander

Finely dice the shallots and place them into a bowl.
Add the lime juice and salt and mix well.
Wait 5 minutes for the shallots to absorb the lime juice and salt.
Roughly chop the coriander and after 5 minutes add it to the bowl and mix to combine.
Taste and if needed, adjust the seasoning or consistency.
4

Fire Roasted Habanero Salsa

Fire up the Ooni oven!
Set the temperature to 280c.
Place the red chillies, habanero and white onion onto a baking tray.
Season with extra virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper.
Place into the Ooni oven and roast the chillies and onions turning them often to get an even colour on all sides.
Once charred, remove from the Ooni oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, place the charred chillies and onions into a blender.
Add the vinegar, water, sugar and salt.
Blend on a high speed for 1 minute or until you have a smooth, bright red sauce.
Taste and if needed, adjust the seasoning or consistency.
5

To Serve

With the Ooni oven set to 280c, remove the foil from the lamb and start to shred the meat using two forks.
The meat should be juicy, tender and easy to pull apart.
Mix the shredded meat thoroughly with the sauce, onions and orange slices that by down should be soft and easily integrated into the mixture.
Place the lamb into the Ooni oven taking up one side, leaving the other stone exposed for the warming of the tortillas.
To prepare for the tortillas, set up a baking tray with a slightly dampened cloth lying flat inside of it and place this as close to the Ooni oven as possible.
To warm the tortillas, place them on the warm pizza stone at the front end of the oven so that they are easy to flip.
After 20-30 seconds, spray some water onto the tortillas to give them some moisture and then flip them over, spraying water on them one more time before waiting a further 20-30 seconds before removing them from the oven.
They should be warm, soft and slightly charred.
Place the tortillas into the baking tray wrapping the slightly dampened cloth over them to keep them warm.
Repeat this process until you have enough tortillas, as a guide, 4-5 tortillas per person is a usually a good serving.
Whilst you warm the tortillas, pull the lamb out of the oven every few minutes and stir the lamb to keep the consistency of the cooking even.
Once the tortillas are ready, pull out the lamb, lay the table with all the salsas and enjoy the wonderful feast you have created!