Alex Stupak's Lamb Barbacoa Tacos

Recipe adapted from Tacos: Recipes and Provocations by Alex Stupak and Jordana Rothman.

New York chef Alex Stupak — chef and owner of the Empellón group of restaurants — offers a smart indoor method for approximating barbacoa de borrego, Mexico’s fabulous pit-roasted lamb. Preparing the barbacoa is definitely a project, but it’s fun, and it makes a great crash-course in Mexican cooking. After drizzling the tacos with the salsa borracha, you'll have plenty of leftover to serve with them or keep for later.

Makes 12 tacos.

Ingredients

12 warm corn tortillas

1 recipe lamb barbacoa

1 recipe salsa borracha

1 small cucumber, thinly sliced

18-24 pitted green olives, such as picholine, manzanilla or Castelvetrano, finely chopped

1/2 medium white onion, minced

1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves, plus more left whole for garnish

2 limes, each cut into 6 wedges

Instructions

1. Lay out the warm tortillas on serving plates. Divide the barbacoa evenly among them and drizzle with some salsa borracha.

2. Top each with a few cucumber slices, some chopped olive, minced onion and chopped cilantro. Squeeze a couple of lime wedges over the tacos, garnish with a few whole cilantro leaves and serve the rest of the limes and leftover salsa borracha on the side.