Lamb Barbacoa Mixiote

• Rinse the meat and dry well. Place in a large bowl, sprinkle with 4 teaspoons salt and rub the salt in, making sure that all the pieces are well seasoned. Set aside while you prepare the adobo marinade.
• Heat a comal or skillet over medium to medium-low heat and lightly toast the chiles, flipping them over as they darken and begin to release spicy fumes (you might want to turn on your fan), 1 to 2 minutes. Place them in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer 12 to15 minutes, until the chiles have softened, plumped and rehydrated.
• Transfer the chiles and 1 cup of their cooking liquid to a blender. Add the cumin, oregano, marjoram, thyme, stemmed cloves, garlic cloves, black pepper and remaining teaspoon of salt, and puree until smooth. Pour over the meat. Rub the marinade over the meat with your hands and make sure that all of the pieces are covered. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 to 48 hours, the longer the better.
• When ready to cook the meat, remove it from the refrigerator. Heat a small skillet or comal over medium-low heat. Lightly toast the avocado and bay leaves for about 30 seconds per side. Remove from the heat.
• Divide the meat with its marinade into 5 to 6 equal portions. One by one, place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and top with a portion of meat. Place a bay leaf and an avocado leaf, if using, on top of the meat. Close the bundle: gather up the four corners of the parchment paper and bring them together to completely enclose the meat, then twist and tie with kitchen twine. Place that bundle on another piece of parchment paper and repeat. (Some people like to wrap the bundle in aluminum foil so there is no chance of liquid escaping, but I find that as long as you are careful not to tear the parchment it is not necessary.)
• Pour the beer or pulque into a large steamer or cooking pot large enough to accommodate a large steaming basket. Add enough water to reach the bottom of the steaming basket. Place a coin in the pot under the steaming basket; it will clatter in the simmering water and if the sound stops, you will know to add more. Place the bundles in the steamer, making sure the tops of the packets are pointing towards the ceiling. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once you start to see steam, set the timer for 2 hours. Keep your eye (and ear) on the simmering water.
• Check one of the packets. The meat should be fork tender. Turn off the heat and let the mixiote sit for at least 1 hour before serving. The meat will remain piping hot.

To serve:

• Place each pouch in a wide soup bowl or soup plate. If you wish, serve with nopalitos salad, black beans, and avocado slices, all together in the same soup bowl. Guests should open their bundles and let the broth run into their bowl, then eat everything together with a spoon. Or tuck into tacos. You will have some delicious broth remaining in the bowl. Squeeze in a bit of lime, add some chopped white onion, jalapeño and cilantro, and finish eating it like a caldo (a brothy soup) to wrap up an amazing feast.