Lamb tacos for Cinco de Mayo because it fell on a Taco Tuesday this year just feels right! This lamb taco recipe evolved in my head throughout the course of a week and the end result I just had to share! I made mine with leftover Sunday lamb chops, but feel free to make the lamb from scratch if you can.

It may seem a bit weird to have lamb as part of a taco, but this recipe works great with your lamb either minced, shredded or prepared in strips and is even more elevated with the addition of some vibrant components for this lamb taco.

Tortillas
So the vessel for these lamb tacos, I used flour tortillas because that’s what I had readily available, however this will work with your favourite tortilla like corn, or spinach.

Let’s Talk Lamb
The base of these tacos are a nice flavourful lamb made with roasted cumin, what some of us in the Caribbean call geera that is featured heavily in some West Indian curries. The roasted cumin gives the lamb a nutty component, while the rosemary and aromatics provide that flowery something.

Ingredients
1 tsp roasted cumin
1 tsp coriander (the seeds from cilantro)
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp dried mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
6 lamb chops, cut off into strips

Method
Mix the dry rub.
Season the meat with the dry rub and leave to marinate for a minimum of an hour.
IF:
You’ve used strips: Cook in pan for roughly 10 – 15 minutes
You’ve used mince: Cook in pan for 8 – 10 minutes until brown and juices run clear
You’ve used full lamb chops: Bake in oven at 375 for a minimum of 25 minutes till well done.

Be careful to never overcrowd the pan, or this will cause the lamb to spring water and might also impact cook times.

Then the accompaniments chosen for this taco were for flavour profiles and of course, colour:

Sweet Pickled Radishes
Thin strips of mainly tart, slightly sweet bursts of this salad staple.

Ingredients
4 radishes
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp water

Method
Thinly slice radishes.
Mix vinegar, sugar and water until sugar is dissolved.
Let radishes soak in mixture for minimum of 20 minutes.

Grilled Pineapple
This yellow burst on the plate, is so sweet especially enhanced by being on the grill, with a hint of smokiness that balances the tartness of the radishes perfectly.

Ingredients
1/4 of fresh whole pineapple
Special equipment
Grill pan

Method
Heat up grill or grill pan spray non stick cooking spray.
Cut pineapple in steaks, 1/2 inch thick.
Grill pineapple until preferred charred is achieved. I took mine a little pass the below.

Salsa Verde
Green…ok it’s almost like I’m trying to create a traffic light. This flavourful sauce is originally done with tomatillos and serrano peppers, but in this COVID-19 world, I’m happy with the outcome with green tomatoes and jalapeno peppers. If you do however have the ingredients to make an authentic salsa verde, I really loved watching this video of a step by step.

Ingredients
3 green tomatoes
3 garlic pods
2 jalapeno peppers
1/2 of a small onion
1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp dried cilantro

Method
Rough chop the tomatoes, garlic, peppers, and onion.
Put on low heat with water to just cover the ingredients.
Let simmer for 15 minutes.
Blend using immersion blender or food processor. I like mine with some chunks.
In pan, heat oil, add cilantro, then add tomato mixture.
Let simmer for 10 minutes on low.

Feta
If you have queso fresco (a mexican cheese) that works as well.The tanginess of the feta shocks the palette for the lamb tacos.

Garnishes:
Fresh leaves – edible of course. For presentation. I used basil, but fresh cilantro would be a great addition as well.