8 To 10 servings

It is a really rustic dish. Usually a whole goat or lamb, although in some places just the offal, is seasoned with a paste of ground spices and chiles and cooked in a pit barbecue. As you wander around Guadalajara at night, you can see that tacos of birria head the list of antojitos on the street-side stands and always appear prominently on the Sunday menus of the smaller regional restaurants. Here is a family version of birria, with the variety of chiles used in Zacatecas, rather than the plain chilacate or ancho used in Jalisco. One day ahead: 2 lamb shanks A veal breast A lamb breast 3 pounds loin of pork 2 tbs salt 6 chiles anchos 3 chiles guajillos 10 chiles cascabel 18 peppercorns 4 whole cloves 1/4 tsp oregano Scant 1/4 tsp cumin seeds 1/4 cup vinegar 2 tsp salt 6 cloves garlic, peeled 1/2 small onion Directions: There will be approximately 6 to 7 pounds of meat. Slash the meats in several places down to the bone and rub the salt well into it. Meanwhile, prepare the chili paste. Heat the comal and toast the chiles lightly, turning them from time to time so that they will not burn. Remove the veins and seeds. Put the chiles to soak in hot water for about 20 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to the blender jar, add the rest of the ingredients, and blend to a smooth sauce. Cover the meat thickly with the paste and set it aside to season for about 18 hours. On serving day: 1 1/2 cups water The meat Flour and water paste 2 pounds tomatoes, broiled 1 cup onion, finely chopped 1/2 tsp oregano Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the water into the bottom of a large Dutch oven or casserole with a tightly fitting lid and place the meat on a rack so that it is just above the water. Seal the lid with a paste of flour and water and cook for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours, by which time the meat should be almost falling off the bones. Strain off the juices from the bottom of the pan, cool, and skim off the fat. There should be about 2 cups of juices left- if not, make it up to 2 cups with water. Blend the tomatoes to a smooth sauce. Put the sauce and the skimmed juices from the meat into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Serve each portion of mixed meats in a deep bowl. Pour 1/2 cup sauce over the meat and sprinkle with the chopped onion and oregano. Eat with tortillas.

Karen Mintzias 1 Jar grapeleaves (or fresh)

———————————-FILLING———————————- 2 tb Oil

1 lb Ground beef or lamb

2 Onions; chopped

1 Garlic clove; pressed

2 c Water

1/2 c Tomato sauce

1 c Rice

2 tb Chopped mint

2 tb Chopped parsley

1/2 ts Salt

Pepper to taste 1/8 ts Cinnamon

1/2 c Currants

1/4 c Port wine (optional)

1/4 c Pine nuts or walnuts

2 c Water

1 Lemon (juice only)

———————————–SAUCE———————————– 3 Eggs

2 Lemons (stained juice only)

1 c Hot broth

If using canned grape leaves, rinse off brine by floating leaves in a basin of cold water. Prepare fresh vine leaves by pouring a cup of boiling water over them in a bowl. Drain. Spread 5 or 6 leaves out at a time on a flat surface. Lay leaf stem side up. Snip off stem with kitchen shears. MAKE FILLING: Heat oil in large frying pan. Fry meat, onions and garlic on medium heat for 5 minutes, mixing it as it cooks. Add water and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 10 minutes, until water is absorbed. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Put 1 teaspoon of filling near stem. Bring left side of leaf towards center, then bring right side towards center. They will not always meet. Pick up stem end of leaf, tucking in the filling. Roll away from you. It will be an oblong roll like a sausage. Line the bottom of a large skillet with 4 leaves. Place each roll so that the tucked under end is on the bottom. Arrange each roll snugly, one next to the other, until all the leaves (except 3), and filling are gone. Place these leaves flat on top of rolls. Place a flat dish on top of rolls also to prevent their unravelling during cooking. Add water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 45 minutes. When done, remove pot from fire. Make Egg and Lemon Sauce and add to broth immediately or serve without sauce either cold as an appetizer or as a hot entree. EGG AND LEMON SAUCE: Beat eggs until thick and light yellow, at least 5 minutes, with an electric beater or 10 to 15 minutes by hand. Add juice slowly, beating all the while. Mix 1 cup hot broth into beaten eggs, stirring it in quickly with spoon (or wire whisk) so heat will not curdle the eggs. Cook over very low heat until thickened. From: “The Complete Greek Cookbook” by Theresa Karas Yianilos. Avenel Books, New York. Typed for you by Karen Mintzias