INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

7
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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