Make This With Your Kids
Homemade tortillas are on a whole different level from their store-bought siblings, especially when mixed with bacon fat and the green bite of fresh scallion. Don’t be intimidated—they’re fun to make and fairly simple. Rene Ortiz inspired this grilled lamb recipe, which has a roll-your-own element that echoes the fun of family fajita night. And parents, please make these tortillas with your little kids, who will go bonkers for the meal if they get to help make it.
Grilled Leg of Lamb with Bacon-Fat Tortillas
Ingredients
Leg of Lamb
- One 3-pound well-trimmed boneless leg of lamb
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon AZ & Badia Mexican Fiesta spice blend
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
- 6 plum tomatoes, halved
- 2 poblano chiles—quartered lengthwise, stemmed and seeded
- 1 large red onion, cut into 8 wedges through the core
- 12 scallions
- Bacon Fat Tortillas and Tomatillo Salsa, (recipes below)
Bacon Fat Tortillas
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 cup chilled rendered bacon fat
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup minced scallions
Fresh Tomatillo Salsa
- 1 pound tomatillos—husked, washed and quartered
- 1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup lightly packed mint leaves
- 1 serrano chile, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus more for seasoning
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup minced white onion
Instructions
Spread the lamb on a work surface and lightly pound the thickest part of the meat to a 2-inch thickness. Put the lamb in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the lime juice, Mexican Fiesta spice blend, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Remove the lamb from the marinade and blot it dry with paper towels. Bring the lamb to room temperature.
Light a grill and oil the grates. Brush the lamb with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderate heat until lightly charred on the underside, about 10 minutes. Turn the lamb over and scatter the sage and rosemary on top. Grill the lamb, turning once more, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 135° for medium-rare or 140° for medium, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Transfer the lamb to a work surface and let rest for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the tomatoes, poblanos, onion wedges and scallions with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and just tender, 4 to 7 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter. Thinly slice the lamb across the grain and transfer it to the platter. Serve with the Bacon Fat Tortillas and Tomatillo Salsa.
Bacon Fat Tortillas
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 20 tortillas
In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the bacon fat and mix with your hands to evenly moisten the flour. Add the water and scallions and stir just until the dough comes together. Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead just until smooth. Roll the dough into 20 even balls and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 20 minutes.
Heat a cast-iron griddle or large skillet over moderately high heat. Work with one piece of dough at a time: On a lightly floured work surface, dust a ball of dough with flour and roll it out to a 9-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Griddle the tortilla, turning once, until browned in spots and pliable, about 30 seconds per side. Wrap the tortilla in a towel and repeat with the remaining balls of dough.
MAKE AHEAD Once cooled, the tortillas can be stored overnight in a plastic bag. Reheat before serving.
Fresh Tomatillo Salsa
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2 cups
In a food processor, combine the tomatillos with the cilantro, mint, serrano chile and the 1 tablespoon of lime juice and pulse until nearly smooth. Season the salsa with salt, pepper and lime juice. Transfer the salsa to a bowl and stir in the onion.
