Costa Rican Taco Bowls (Lamb Belly Recipe)
Serves 3 as an appetizer or light lunch
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 345kcal
Cost: 10
Equipment
- 1 Braising pot of Dutch Oven
- 1 10 inch frying pan
Ingredients
Pico de gallo
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 1 small jalapeno seeds removed, diced small
- 1 tablespoon chopped onion
- Pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper
- Cilantro or culantro to taste
- Dash of lime juice
- Sliced fresh avocado for serving
- Fresh lime wedges for serving
- High quality tortilla chips for serving
Rice and beans
- 1.5 cups cooked beans or 1 15 oz can with some reserved cooking liquid or use dried beans
- ½ cup long grain rice or substitute 1.5 cups cooked
Goat or lamb belly
- 1 lb Lamb belly or goat belly
- Small chunk of yellow onion
- 2-3 dried bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups water
- Handful of garlic cloves whole
- Generous pinch cumin
Instructions
- Cut the goat or lamb belly into 5 oz pieces about the size of a closed fist, then brown in a small pot you can braise them in. As the fat renders, add the onion and garlic cloves and brown lightly. Add the water, cumin, salt, bay, cover, and simmer on low or bake at 300 for 2 hours.
- Remove the pot from the oven, cool until you can handle it, then inspect the goat pieces for any visible sinew (see video) and remove. Chop the lamb belly into cubes and reserve. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid for finishing the chifrijo and 1 cup for cooking the rice.
- Meanwhile, toast the rice in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes or until light golden, then combine with a pinch of salt and 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid, bring to a simmer, turn the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes, then turn the heat off and allow to steam and finish cooking.
- Combine the beans with the reserved 1 cup of stock, adding any juice from the can if using canned beans. If you use dried beans, you can cook them in the goat stock. Season the beans to taste lightly with salt and pepper if needed.
- Combine the ingredients for the pico de gallo, season to taste and reserve.
- Bake the goat pieces in a heavy skillet at 350F until the fat is rendered and the goat is crisp. Spoon off the fat as it cooks for cooking more beans, potatoes, or other dishes if desired. Keep the goat pieces hot.
- To finish the chifrijo, heat the rice, and heat the beans along with their liquid. In small soup bowls, put ½ cup each rice, followed by the beans, and about ¼ cup of cooking liquid. Garnish with the pico de gallo and crispy pieces of meat, avocado, and tortilla chips for scooping.
Notes
This recipe can be made with many cuts. Shoulder and brisket/breast would be great too.
Nutrition
Serving: 4oz | Calories: 345kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 600mg | Potassium: 702mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 370IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 4mg