Entree: Mexico – Guerrero – Barbacoa de Chivo (Slow-braised, shredded goat cooked with chilies and aromatic spices, traditionally wrapped in leaves)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 25 min

Cook 4 hrs 15 min

Additional 2 hrs

Total 4 hrs 25 min

Ingredients

Goat shoulder or leg, bone-in — 1,600 g gross; estimated 960 g cooked edible meat (bones and cooking loss excluded).
Kosher salt — 10 g, plus additional salt to taste.
Black pepper, ground — 2 g.
Vegetable oil or lard — 45 ml (about 41 g).
Dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded — 6 chiles (about 18 g).
Dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded — 4 chiles (about 32 g).
Water, hot — 720 ml.
Garlic — 6 cloves (about 18 g).
White onion — 1 medium (about 150 g edible).
White vinegar — 60 ml (about 60 g).
Ground cumin — 5 ml (about 2 g).
Ground cloves — 2 g.
Cinnamon stick — 1 small piece, about 2.5 cm (estimated 2 g).
Bay leaves, dried — 2 leaves (about 0.4 g).
Dried oregano — 15 ml (about 3 g).
Beef or chicken broth — 360 ml (about 360 g).
Fresh cilantro, chopped — 30 ml (about 8 g), plus an unquantified amount for garnish.
Banana leaves — 2 leaves, optional, used for wrapping; omit from nutrition estimate. Foil may be used instead.
Corn tortillas, warmed — quantity not specified.
Lime wedges, diced white onion, and salsa — quantities not specified.

Instructions

1. Season the bone-in goat pieces with 10 g salt and 2 g ground black pepper. Set aside while preparing the sauce, or refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
2. Remove stems and seeds from the dried guajillo and ancho chiles. Cover with 720 ml hot water and soak for 15–20 minutes until soft; reserve the soaking liquid.
3. Blend the soaked chiles with the garlic, quartered onion, white vinegar, ground cumin, ground cloves, cinnamon, dried oregano, and 120 ml broth. Add some reserved chile-soaking liquid as needed to loosen the sauce. Strain if desired.
4. Heat the vegetable oil or lard in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the goat in batches, about 3–4 minutes per side, then remove it from the pot.
5. Add the blended chile sauce to the pot and cook for 1–2 minutes. Add the remaining 240 ml broth and bay leaves, return the goat, turn to coat, and add the chopped cilantro.
6. Cover the pot bottom and goat with banana leaves if using, or cover tightly with foil; fit the pot lid. Braise in a 150°C oven for 3–4 hours, until the meat is very tender and separates from the bone.
7. Transfer the goat to a board, remove and discard bones and excess fat, and shred the meat. Skim fat from the cooking liquid if desired, return the shredded meat to the pot, and warm briefly in the sauce.
8. Adjust salt to taste. Serve hot with warm corn tortillas, lime wedges, diced white onion, chopped cilantro, and salsa.