Goat Tacos Recipes

GOAT BIRRIA TACOS WITH CUCUMBER PICO DE GALLO RECIPE

Steps:

• Rub goat leg with ⅓ cup Diamond Crystal or 3 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt, working into flesh and fat. Wrap tightly in parchment or wax paper and chill at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.
• Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Evenly scatter onion, garlic, guajillo chiles, ancho chile, chiles de árbol, ginger, cloves, tomatoes, peppercorns, oregano, and cumin across a large roasting pan and place a roasting rack on top. Unwrap goat leg and set on rack. Pour 4 cups water into pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake until meat is pulling away from the bone and shreds easily with a fork, 4½-5 hours.
• Let leg sit (still covered) until cool enough to handle (about 1 hour). Shred meat into small pieces and place in a large bowl; discard bones. Remove ginger from pan; discard. Working in batches if needed, purée liquid and aromatics left in pan in a blender until smooth. Pour half of consomé over meat and mix to coat. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Cover and set aside. Pour remaining consomé into a medium bowl and set aside for serving.
• Do Ahead: Meat can be prepared 3 days ahead. Chill meat and consomé.
• Toss cucumbers, onion, lime juice, basil, and salt in a medium bowl. Add 1-4 chiles, depending on their heat and how spicy you like things, and let sit 10 minutes.
• Top warm tortillas with meat, then salsa. Serve with consomé for dipping.

GOAT TACOS

Steps:

• Slit chiles lengthwise, then stem and seed (leave veins for heat). Heat a dry large heavy skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat until hot, then toast chiles in batches, opened flat, turning and pressing with tongs, until more pliable and slightly changed in color, about 30 seconds per batch.
• Transfer chiles to a bowl and soak in hot water until softened, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Cut a shallow X in bottom of each tomato and blanch in simmering water 20 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking. Peel tomatoes. Coarsely chop, reserving juice.
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Cut goat at joints to separate into pieces and put in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Sprinkle all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
• Drain chiles, discarding soaking water, and purée in a blender with tomatoes and reserved juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining ingredients except tortillas until very smooth, about 1 minute.
• Pour sauce over meat, turning to coat, then cover dish tightly with a double layer of foil and braise in oven until meat is very tender, 3 to 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and cool meat in liquid, uncovered, 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Coarsely shred meat, discarding bones, then mix into braising liquid in dish. Return to oven and cook, covered, until sauce is simmering, about 30 minutes more.
• Fifteen minutes before goat is done, make 2 stacks of tortillas and wrap each stack in foil, then heat in oven on rack alongside baking dish. Serve goat with warm tortillas and accompaniments.

GOAT BARBACOA

Steps:

• For my goat preparation, I have prepared the goat in three ways: Roasted Leg, Seared Rack and the shoulder done in a traditional Barbacoa, which will serve as the sauce for the final, plated dish.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Roast the onions and tomatillos on a baking sheet in the oven until soft. Roast the cascabel and guajillo chiles on a pan until toasted and aromatic. Put in a bowl, add the water, and re-hydrate until soft. Put the tomatillo, onion, chiles, wine, vinegar, garlic, and oregano in a blender and blend to form a paste. Spread the paste evenly on the meat and season the meat with the salt. Set the meat in a baking pan and put the bay leaves and avocado leaves, if using, on top.
• Cover with foil and bake until very tender and falling off of the bone, about 4 hours.
• Remove most of the fat from the pan and discard the bay and avocado leaves. Reserve any remaining liquids for Goat Rack and Leg recipe.
• To serve, cut the shoulder into 3- to 4-ounce portions. Reserve the remaining meat and shred for the best tacos you will ever eat.

SPICY GOAT TACOS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat.
• Add goat meat and salt, and cook, stirring, until meat is browned, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Stir in onion, tomato, garlic, chili powder, cumin and cayenne, and cook until onion is softened and meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Spoon goat meat and goat cheese into tortillas, and serve with garnishes on the side.

AUTHENTIC BIRRIA TACOS RECIPE

Steps:

• Add the guajillo, ancho and chiles de arbol to a large bowl and top with boiling water. Let sit until the chilies are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove the stems from the chilies and shake out the seeds and discard. Save the soaking liquid.
• Add the chilies, apple cider vinegar, tomatoes, garlic, organo, paprika, cumin and 2 cups of the chili soaking water to a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth.
• Heat oven to 300ºF (150ºC).
• Season the cubed beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil and heat through. Working in batches, add the beef and sear until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes.
• Add all of the seared beef back to the pot and top with the blended chili mixture, onion, beef stock and 2 cups of water. Wrap the bay leaves, thyme, cinnamon stick and cloves in cheesecloth, tie to close and add to the pot.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat then cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Braise the beef until fork tender, about 3 hours.
• Discard the spices. Remove the meat from the braising liquid to a cutting board. Let cool slightly then chop the meat with a cleaver or large knife.
• Add to a large mixing bowl with about 2 cups of the braising liquid and ½ cup of the chopped cilantro.
• In a small mixing bowl stir together the onion, remaining cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt and set aside.
• Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, Dip the tortilla into the top fat of the braising liquid. Add to the pan and fry for about 30 seconds.
• Serve topped with the beef and onions or to make quesabirria add some of the cheese on top followed by some of the beef. Fold over and continue to cook like a quesadilla, until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining tacos and meat.
• Ladle the consommé into small bowls for dipping. Top both the tacos and consommé with the onion mixture and serve hot with sides of limes and radishes.

BIRRIA TACOS RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the dried peppers. Dry toast them in the hot pan 1-2 minutes per side, until the skins darken.
• Remove from heat and add the toasted peppers to a large bowl. Cover with hot water and steep 20 minutes, or until softened.
• While the peppers are rehydrating, heat the olive oil in the same pan to medium heat.
• Add the onion and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes to soften.
• Add the garlic and cook another 1 minute, stirring.
• Add the cooked onion, tomatoes and garlic to a food processor.
• Remove the softened chilies and add to the food processor, but reserve the soaking liquid.
• Add the seasonings to the food processor along with the vinegar and 1 cup beef stock. Process until smooth. It should be fairly thick, but you can thin if needed with the reserved soaking liquid. Strain if desired to remove any unprocessed bits of skin.
• Cut the beef into large chunks and add to a large bowl.
• Pour the birria sauce over them and rub it into the meat. Cover and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 2 hours minimum. Overnight is better.
• When you're ready to cook, add the meat with all of the marinade, the chopped roasted tomatoes and remaining 3 cups beef broth to a large pot. Cover and cook at medium heat for 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender and easy to shred. It should be fairly saucy.
• Shred the meat with forks to your preference. Reserve most of the birria sauce (consome).
• Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pan or skillet. Dip the tortillas into the birria sauce (consome) to coat them evenly, then set them into the hot pan.
• Top with shredded birria meat. Fold the moistened shell over and fry 2-3 minutes until crisp, then flip over and fry the other side until crisp.
• Cool slightly and serve with your preferred toppings, with reserved liquid consome from the pot as a side soup/broth.