Lamb Chili With Masa Harina Dumplings
Serves: 3
Roxane Raynor
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
57
Spice
54
Sweetness
48
Sourness
39
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.3
Difficulty
Ingredients:
1 tsp
Black Pepper5 cups
Water1 tsp
Salt1 cup
Lard (chilled)2 tsps
Ground Cumin1.5 tsps
Oregano (dried, crumbled)1 cup
All-Purpose Flour1 tsp
Baking Powder1 tsp
Baking Soda3 cup
Buttermilk (well-shaken)2 tbsps
Cilantro (chopped fresh)Directions:
1
Make chili: Simmer dried chiles in 2 cups water, covered, in a 2-quart heavy saucepan until very soft, about 20 minutes
2
Reserve 3/4 cup cooking liquid, then drain in a colander
3
Stem chiles (do not remove seeds), then purée in a blender with reserved cooking liquid until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids)
4
Force purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl
5
Reserve purée
6
Pat lamb dry, then sprinkle with pepper and 1 teaspoon salt
7
Heat 2 tablespoons lard in a 6-quart wide heavy pot or a 3-inch-deep straight-sided skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown lamb in 4 batches (without crowding), turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch
8
Transfer to a bowl
9
Add remaining tablespoon lard to pot, then cook onion, garlic, bay leaves, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes
10
Add cumin and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute
11
Stir in reserved chile purée and chipotles and simmer, stirring frequently and scraping up brown bits from bottom of pot, 5 minutes
12
Add lamb along with any juices accumulated in bowl and remaining 3 cups water, then bring to a boil
13
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until lamb is tender, about 2 1/2 hours
14
Simmer dried chiles in 2 cups water, covered, in a 2-quart heavy saucepan until very soft, about 20 minutes
15
Reserve 3/4 cup cooking liquid, then drain in a colander
16
Stem chiles (do not remove seeds), then purée in a blender with reserved cooking liquid until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids)
17
Force purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl
18
Reserve purée
19
Pat lamb dry, then sprinkle with pepper and 1 teaspoon salt
20
Heat 2 tablespoons lard in a 6-quart wide heavy pot or a 3-inch-deep straight-sided skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown lamb in 4 batches (without crowding), turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch
21
Transfer to a bowl
22
Add remaining tablespoon lard to pot, then cook onion, garlic, bay leaves, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes
23
Add cumin and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute
24
Stir in reserved chile purée and chipotles and simmer, stirring frequently and scraping up brown bits from bottom of pot, 5 minutes
25
Add lamb along with any juices accumulated in bowl and remaining 3 cups water, then bring to a boil
26
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until lamb is tender, about 2 1/2 hours
27
Make dumplings: Stir together masa harina, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl
28
Blend in lard pieces with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal
29
Add buttermilk, stirring just until dough is moistened (do not overmix)
30
Skim fat off chili and discard bay leaves, then drop 8 or 9 heaping tablespoons of dough onto simmering chili, about 2 inches apart
31
Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, covered, until tops of dumplings are dry to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes
32
Sprinkle with cilantro
33
Stir together masa harina, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl
34
Blend in lard pieces with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal
35
Add buttermilk, stirring just until dough is moistened (do not overmix)
36
Skim fat off chili and discard bay leaves, then drop 8 or 9 heaping tablespoons of dough onto simmering chili, about 2 inches apart
37
Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, covered, until tops of dumplings are dry to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes
38
Sprinkle with cilantro