Mel's Cuban Street Tacos

Total Time: 4 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• 4 lbs boneless lamb butt, cubed
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 1 lime, juice of
• 1/2 medium orange, juice and zest of
• 8 small corn or 8 small flour tortillas
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• sour cream or avocado, if desired
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Recipe

• 1 1.rub the pieces of lamb all over with salt. refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• 2 2.heat oil in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, until the oil is shimmering and hot. add the lamb and sear each piece on all sides, working in batches, if needed. once browned, remove the lamb to the slow cooker. into the same pot used to sear the lamb, pour in the water and chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan with a flat-edged spatula or wooden spoon to get up all the delicious brown bits from the bottom. add pepper, cumin, chili powder, oregano, bay leaves, garlic, jalapenos, onion, lime juice, orange juice and orange rinds and bring to a simmer. pour the mixture over the lamb in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until the lamb is very tender.
• 3 3.remove the bay leaves, onion and orange rinds from the pot and discard. remove the lamb and place in a bowl and set aside. pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a pot on the stove and over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. let the mixture boil until it reduces to about 1 cup and is thickened slightly, about 10 -15 minutes.
• 4 4.shred the lamb and place on a large patter. spoon the sauce over the lamb. serve in tortillas garnished with onions, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, avocado and additional lime wedges, if desired.