INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

In a cleaned electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle
grind cumin seeds, allspice, oregano, and, if using, whole cloves and dried
thyme. Coarsely chop onion and garlic.
Wearing rubber gloves, remove stems and seeds from guajillos. Rinse chiles
under cold running water and shake off excess water (do not dry chiles).
Heat a griddle or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over moderately high heat
until a drop of water scatters across surface and roast chiles, 2 at a
time, pressing down with tongs, 10 to 15 seconds on each side, or until
more pliable and any water clinging to them is evaporated. Do not burn
chiles or they will become bitter. Transfer chiles as roasted to a bowl.
Cover roasted chiles with boiling water by 1-inch and soak 20 minutes.
Drain chiles and transfer to a blender. Add ground spice mixture, ground
cloves and fresh thyme, if using, onion, garlic, vinegar, salt, and 1/3 cup
water to chiles and puree on high speed, adding more water, 1 tablespoon at
a time, if necessary to facilitate blending and scraping down sides
occasionally with a rubber spatula, 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon force
puree through a medium mesh sieve into a bowl large enough to hold lamb and
discard solids. Reserve 1 1/4 cups marinade paste in a small bowl, covered
and chilled.
Pat lamb dry and season with pepper and salt. Transfer lamb to large bowl
with marinade paste and rub all over with paste. Marinate lamb, covered
with plastic wrap and chilled, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day. Bring lamb
to cool room temperature, about 1 hour, before roasting.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Scatter half of avocado leaves in a flameproof roasting pan just large
enough to hold lamb and arrange lamb on top. Scatter remaining leaves over
lamb. Roast lamb, tightly covered with several layers of foil, in middle of
oven about 4 hours, or until meat is almost falling off bone.
Transfer lamb to a cutting board and discard leaves, reserving pan juices.
When lamb is cool enough to handle, pull meat off bone, discarding excess
fat and gristle, and arrange on a platter. Keep lamb warm.
Skim fat from pan juices if desired and on top of stove deglaze pan with
broth over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits. Stir in tomatoes
with juice, breaking up tomatoes with spoon. Add reserved 1 1/4 cups
marinade paste and simmer, stirring frequently, 30 minutes or until reduced
to about 4 cups. In a blender puree sauce in batches until smooth (use
caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a bowl.
Drizzle lamb with some sauce and serve remaining sauce on the side.
Yield: 8 servings
Recipe by: Cooking Live Show #CL8997
Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #904 by "Angele and Jon Freeman"
<jfreeman@comteck.com> on Nov 12, 1997

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