Stay at Home Cinco de Mayo with 30% off at Los Chileros

Posted on April 24, 2020 by loschileros

Yes, you read that right. 30% off everything at Los Chileros. Are we mad? Of course we are (but you knew that already). Now before you get all giggly and giddy and run around the back yard in your birthday suit, it’s for three days and three days only. I mean, we’re crazy but not that crazy. You’ve got from today through Sunday (April 26^th) to get your skates on start clicking that mouse with wild abandon.

So go to the Los Chileros website and start shopping. Enter the promo code SAFE to get your discount. It’s that easy.

If you need inspiration, we’re sharing our recipe for Citrus lamb with achiote and habanero. Yes, a discount and a recipe. So don’t be looking for a Christmas card from us this year, okay? Achiote is a real find (note to self: add to your Los Chileros shopping basket). It’s got an earthiness about it and lends a show stopping red hue to your food. For this baby, we’ve blended it with orange juice and some habanero. Well hello sunshine!

So what are you waiting for? Get shopping. Get cooking and remember…Keep calm and eat chile.

Citrus lamb with achiote and habanero

Serves 4

1.5 lb. cubed lamb shoulder

¼ package (.875oz/25g) achiote paste

8 oz orange juice (we used blood orange juice because we’re fancy)

½ tsp habanero chile

½ tsp salt

1Tbsp vegetable oil

To garnish, your choice of:

Tortillas

Cilantro

Diced white onion

Chopped tomatoes

Avocado

Extra habanero chile

Lime wedges

Sliced radish

Crumble the achiote paste in a bowl that is large enough to hold the lamb. Add the orange juice and whisk until the paste is blended into the liquid. Add the habanero chile powder and salt and then the lamb. Stir to coat. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours, giving it a stir every now and then.

Remove the lamb from the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 250°F.

Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add the oil to the skillet and brown the lamb in batches. Put the browned lamb in an ovenproof casserole, add the marinade to the skillet and cook for a minute until reduced slightly. Pour the marinade over the lamb, cover and place in the oven. Cook for several hours until the meat is tender but still holds its shape. Serve as is, or increase the oven temperature and crisp the meat. Serve on tortillas with your choice of toppings.

Eat until you’re too full to move.

Slow cooker posole with lamb & chile

Posted on December 29, 2018 by loschileros

Winter has arrived in the Land of Enchantment and at the Chile Trail we’re hunkering down. Supplies are in, the fire is lit, and we’re settling in for a long winter’s nap.

Some folks fight winter – shovelling and obsessively checking weather.com but we figure why bother. Mother Nature is going to do exactly what she likes so don’t fight it.

Instead, take advantage of winter. Binge watch that trashy series. Stop shaving. Wear a lot of flannel. Go ahead – who’s going to notice? Winter isn’t the time for beauty contests or wimps. Make like a bear and hibernate.

And there’s nothing that fits winter weather like some slow cooker posole. It’s hearty fare and with a hit of chile so you’re sure to keep warm and toasty.

1-12 oz package of white corn posole

1 ½ lbs diced lamb

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1-1oz package of posole spice blend

To garnish:

Cilantro, chopped

Radishes, sliced

Serves 4-6

Empty the posole into a non-reactive bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight. Drain and place the posole into the slow cooker and cover with 4 cups of water. Cook on high for 1 hour.

While the posole is cooking, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil in a frying pan. Remove and set aside. Lightly season the lamb with salt and pepper and brown the lamb in batches. Add more olive oil if needed. Add the onion and garlic back in and stir the mixture with the posole spice blend for a few minutes.

Add the meat, onion and spice mixture to the posole and cook for another 2-3 hours on high heat then reduce to low and cook until the posole is tender – about another 5 hours. Add more water if needed.

Serve hot with the chopped cilantro and sliced radishes.

Slow cooked lamb with chipotle, lime & honey

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Plated lamb

Turkey is a lot like house guests. The first day, you’re thrilled to see them and can’t believe it’s been so long since their last visit. Day two, you’re cordial. Day three, you offer to help them pack and call a taxi.

Don’t get me wrong – turkey at Thanksgiving is a treat, a tradition and literally the gift that keeps on giving. But that’s where the problem lies; at some point you get tired of leftovers. You’ve made turkey pie, tetrazzini, tacos and of course endless sandwiches. Eventually, you’re ready to see the back of turkey and can barely muster the energy to dump the carcass in a pot to make stock.

It’s exacerbated by the fact that many of us are going to whip up another bird in less than a month’s time. You do a frantic google search for ‘turkey leftover recipes’ and sigh deeply.

So what’s the answer? It’s time for something new. Pop the rest of the bird in the freezer and change culinary directions. At Los Chileros HQ, we fancy a slow cooked lamb shoulder with a spiky, zesty lime, honey, chipotle marinade. It’s the perfect way to wake up dulled taste buds and ideal for winter weather.

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You marinade the lamb overnight then cook it at high heat for about 20 minutes before turning the temperature right down and letting it go nice and slow until the meat falls off the bone. It’s even better if you eat it the next day when the flavors have really had a change to mingle and marry.

Eat it on its own, wrapped up in tortillas or on a bun – the choice is yours. It’s heaven with a bit of slaw and some dill pickles. It will make loads but invite some turkey-fatigued friends over or stash some in the freezer to have on hand at Christmas when you’re wishing the leftover turkey would scram. Go ahead and make it, you’ll thank me in a few week’s time.

Slow cooked lamb shoulder with chipotle, lime & honey

If you can’t find lamb shoulder or don’t like it (heaven forbid), then you can opt for pork or beef – just go for a cut that likes it low and slow. The good news? These are usually cheaper too so you’ll get more taste and keep a bit of cash in your pocket, handy when you’ve got all those Christmas credit card bills to pay. But let’s not dwell on that thought…

Serves 8+

1 lamb shoulder, bone-in about 7lbs

2 Tbsp Los Chileros Chipotle rub & mix

Juice of 1 lime

1 Tbsp honey

Salt

Place the lamb in a roasting pan. Mix the marinade ingredients together and rub over the lamb. Refrigerate overnight if possible. The next day, remove the pan from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400°F Generously sprinkle some sea salt on the lamb. Place the lamb in the hot oven for 20 minutes.

Turn the oven down to 225°F. Take the lamb out of the oven, cover the roasting pan with a lid or with aluminium foil – you want to make sure you’re keeping the moisture locked inside. Return to the oven and cook at the low temperature for 3-4 hours then check the lamb – it should be falling off the bone – if not cook longer.

When the lamb is done, take it out of the pan and place on a cutting board and cover with aluminium foil. Strain the cooking juices from the pan into a measuring cup or container and place it in the fridge. This will encourage the fat to rise to the top and solidify. Remove the fat and discard then return the juices to the pan. Shred the meat and put it in the pan with the juices. Give a toss to make sure all the meat is coated. Return to the oven to warm before serving with flat bread, rolls, over couscous or rice.