Carlos Salgado’s Lamb Shank Birria
A slow-cooked birria that uses lamb shanks marinated in a spicy, aromatic paste and finished in a rich consomé—ideal for a winter evening.
Carlos Salgado uses lamb shanks, in place of the more traditional whole animal, for his version of birria, which he serves at La Sirena, the excellent Mexican restaurant he runs in rural Wisconsin with his wife and business partner Emilie Coulson Salgado. The stew is a particularly satisfying dish to make in the heart of winter, and well worth the effort. Toasted chiles, caramelized onions and avocado leaves, slow-cooked in lard and then blended with coffee and vinegar, form the foundation of the dish. Mr. Salgado marinates the lamb in the birria paste overnight, then gently simmers the shanks until tender and surrounded by rich consomé, ready to savor with warm tortillas. -- Brett Anderson
Time: About 12 1/2 hr