INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

backbone, legs, shoulders, ribs, and head  To further explore the
international links of various cuisines, check  out this one and
remember a few months back when we were talking abou  the Pacific
Island custom of cooking in pits.  I didn't realize that  the Mexicans
also had such a practice.  Here's a series of recipes  revolving around
Mexican Barbacoa or BBQ.  To be very authentic, use a lamb which has
been slaughtered the day  before the cookout and hung overnight.  On
the day of the big event,  the animal is split into sections:
backbone, legs, shoulders, ribs,  and head.  METHOD  We assume that no
one would tackle this kind of barbecue without a  large number of
guests-the kind who really like to pitch in.  So, the  first thing to
do is to set one group of your guests to digging a  hole about four
feet by two feet across.  Other members of the party  can scout up
kindling and others can be set to work cleaning each  maguey leaf.
Once the hole is dug, it is plastered with mud to keep the walls firm.
Large porous stones should then be placed in the bottom of the pit
(beware of little hard rocks; they'll split open).  Over the stones
put enough dry wood to fill the pit, then set fire to the wood and  let
it burn to the smokeless coal stage.  While the fire is burning  down,
the maguey leaves should be toasted until limp, for this will  enable
them to release precious juices needed to season the meat.  When the
fire has burned down sufficiently, line the pit with the  maguey
leaves, making sure that all of the mud is covered so meat  will not
stick to pit.  The leaves should be suspended vertically,  the tips
overlapping all the way around and held down with stones for  the
moment.  The next step is to lower a grate into the hole and on it
place the  casserole with soup ingredients.  On top of the uncovered
casserole  ingredients, arrange the lamb pieces, starting with the
backbone,  then the legs, shoulders, rib sections, and the head.  Do
not salt  meat before it is cooked, for this can toughen it.  After
meat is in the pit, fold the tips of the maguey leaves into the  hole
to cover the meat well.  Over this place a metal sheet to keep  any
earth from seeping into the pit and then seal the pit with a coat  of
fresh mud and build a large fire over the metal sheet and mud  cover.
Keep the fire blazing for 5 or 6 hours, depending upon the age of the
meat. Open the pit, salt the meat before serving it, and accompany it
with Salsa Borracha*.   The broth is served in small cups.  See
Shepherd's Roast with Drunken Sauce for recipe.  From "The Art of
Mexican Cooking" by Jan Aaron and Sachs Salom.  Doubleday and Company,
N.Y., 1965.  Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; March 9 1993.  File
ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/cberg2.zip

A Message from our Provider:

“Jesus Christ! The answer is on everyone’s lips”

Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 2629
Calories From Fat: 1104
Total Fat: 122.4g
Cholesterol: 607.8mg
Sodium: 43545.1mg
Potassium: 10117.8mg
Carbohydrates: 52.1g
Fiber: 0g
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 324.8g