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The goat birria turned out great! It was a bit of work but totally worth it. I used the recipe from Rick Martinez's Mi Cocina but also consulted this video by Rick Bayless (next time I may try his cooking method as it is quite simple).

 

Back to Rick Martinez's version, birria estilo Aguascalientes. He explains that this recipe uses tomatoes which results in a thicker broth. The tomatoes' acidity counterbalances the richness of the goat meat, while their sweetness tames the heat of the chiles.

 

I got 2 goat shoulders from my local middle eastern market. Like last time, the meat was frozen, from Australia. Each shoulder was about 4.5 pounds.

 

 

 

The shoulders were rubbed with salt, transferred to a ziplock bag, and refrigerated for a couple of days. For the sauce, tomatoes, onions, chiles (guajillo, cascabeles, moritas), garlic, raw cashews or peanuts (I used fresh peanuts I had just bought in Hawaii), peppercorns, allspice, canela, and cloves are roasted in the oven (he also calls for 1 corn tortilla but I didn't have any on hand and skipped).

 

 

 

The herbs and spices are added (oregano, thyme, cumin, and the goat is added on a rack above the roasted vegetables.

 

 

Water is added to the pan, which is covered tightly with foil, and the goat is baked for 4.5 to 5 hours (mine took about 6 hours to get tender). Once cooked, the meat is shredded into small pieces, and the liquid blended to make a smooth puree (the consommé).

 

 

 

It's served topped with onion and cilantro, with lime wedges. salsa de chile de arbol, and tortillas. The consommé was rich and complex in flavor - absolutely delicious!