Texas-Style Lamb Barbacoa

MAKES: 6 TO 8 POUNDS OF COOKED MEAT 

PREP TIME: 4 HOURS, PLUS THE TIME TO DIG THE PIT  

TOTAL TIME: 6 TO 9 HOURS 

Specializing in authentic Texas barbecue with a uniquely Latin American twist, his mesquite-smoked beef brisket, pork ribs, lamb ribs and more stand apart and highlight the flavors as well as the stories of the Tejano community. Davila keeps the tradition of the vaqueros, the Latin American cattle herders who once roamed the plains of Texas and Mexico, alive in his restaurant, and he’s sharing his secrets for authentic Texas-style barbacoa with you. It’s a recipe Davila grew up eating with tortillas on his family’s ranch. This technique of slow-smoking a beef head or lamb wrapped in maguey leaves in a traditional-style underground pit has been used in many cultures for thousands of years!

INGREDIENTS:

10 to 12 maguey leaves 

1 whole lamb head, thoroughly rinsed 

12 to 15 garlic cloves

1/2 cup salt 

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 

TOOLS: 

Shovel rocks or firebricks 

Mesquite wood chunks 

Chimney starter 

Metal cable 

PREPARE THE PIT: 

1. Dig a 36-inch-diameter hole 4 to 5 feet in the ground. 

2. Line the bottom of the pit with rocks or firebricks. 

3. Build the fire using large (6-by-18-inch) chunks of mesquite wood.

PREP THE MAGUEY LEAVES: 

4. Prepare an open fire on a grill. 

5. Use gloves when handling raw maguey leaves, as their juice is a natural skin irritant. Trim away the spines along the sides of each leaf. Best to do this outside as it can get messy!

6. Cook the maguey leaves on a grill or over hot coals until they are pliable and the liquid has been completely extracted; 10 to 15 minutes. You will hear them pop and sizzle. 

COOK THE LAMB: 

7. Using a paring knife, make incisions in the lamb head and then stuff them with garlic cloves. 8. Use a large pot that has a top. Overlap the cooked maguey leaves vertically, so as to completely line the bottom and sides of the pot. The tips of the leaves may hang over or out of the rim. 

9. Place the lamb head inside the pot with the nose facing up. Fold over the maguey leaves to completely wrap the lamb head. 

10. Add 3 to 4 inches of water and then secure the lid to prevent steam from escaping. You can tie it or weigh it down with a rock.

11. Use a metal cable to lower the pot into the pit in the ground. Make sure not to use rope as it could burn. Cover the hole thoroughly, so that no air can escape. For example, a piece of sheet metal on top. Corrugated roof panels can also work. Do not use wood as the fire is too hot. Cover the metal top and the area surrounding the hole with dirt. Covering the hole will cut off the oxygen source to the fire, leaving only the heated rocks and the burning coals, which allows hot steam to cook the meat. 

12. Steam until the meat falls off the bone, a process that should take 8 hours. Be sure to watch your timing. If the meat isn’t fully cooked, the fire will no longer be hot enough to put it back in the ground and continue cooking. 

13. Remove the meat from the bones then separate it by cuts: tongue, cheek, and so on, and serve, or slice and serve all the meat mixed together. 

14. Reap the benefits of all your hard work.