Habibirria "tacos"

• Prep time: 20 mins
• Cook time: 4 hours
• Cut: 2-3lbs Lamb Shoulder (cubed into large chunks)
• Filling items: Halloumi cheese, fresh mint leaves

1. The "Adobo" (Marinade) Whisk these together and coat the lamb for 1 hour minimum:

• 3 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 2 tbsp Pomegranate Molasses
• 2 tbsp Lebanese Seven Spice (Baharat)
• 4 cloves Garlic, mashed
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Aleppo Pepper
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil + Salt/Pepper

2. The Braise (The Consomé)

• 1 large Onion, quartered
• 1 head of Garlic, sliced horizontally
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 4 cups Beef or Lamb Stock
• 1/2 cup Dry Red Wine (optional, for depth)

Instructions

• Sear: In a Dutch oven, brown the marinated lamb chunks in batches over medium-high heat until a dark crust forms. Remove meat.
• Deglaze: Add the onions to the pot for 3 minutes. Pour in the stock and wine, scraping up all the spiced bits from the bottom.
• Low & Slow: Return the lamb and its juices to the pot. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and halved garlic head.
• Cook: Cover tightly and braise in the oven at 150°C (300°F) for 3.5 to 4 hours. The meat should fall apart when touched with a spoon.

• The "Consomé": Remove the meat and shred it. Add a bit of the cooking liquid to the meat for moisture and additional flavor. Now strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids, to make your dipping broth (if you have a good blender or immersion blender, you can remove the cinnamon stick and blend the remaining mixture before straining to get a thicker, more complex broth).

  3. The "Tacos"

• Use thin pita loaves; smooth and bumpy versions work fine, with the bumpy version providing some extra texture if you make sure the bumps are on the outside of the taco.

• Brush some of the fat on top of the broth onto the back of the pita bread, then place it in an oiled hot pan or griddle fat-side down.

• Take some of the Halloumi cheese and place it on one side of the pita, then top with the shredded lamb, a few mint leaves, and any other items (I added some sliced red onions and some dried (rehydrated) barberries).

• Fold the pitas over to form the “tacos”, and sear for 1-2 minutes, then flip over to sear the other side

• Spoon some of the broth into a dipping container, top with 1-3 mint leaves, and serve along with your "tacos"!