Oaxacan-style pit-cooked lamb barbacoa

Break two heads of garlic apart and roast about six cloves. Chop the onions and carrots to go under the lamb.

Tear the stem end off the guajillo chilies, tear them open and shake out the seeds; tear out the veins for less heat.

Heat oil in a skillet and toast the chilies one by one, a few seconds a side, turning a couple of times, until they blister and change colour slightly.

Collect in a bowl, add three cups of hot tap water and weigh down with a plate; rehydrate about 20 minutes.

Blend the chilies with their soaking liquid, the peeled roasted garlic, vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, salt and sugar until smooth.

Press through a medium mesh sieve to catch seeds and bits of skin.

Put the carrots, onions, garlic and innards in a big roasting pan with a big handful of marjoram, thyme and fresh bay leaves.

Set an oven rack over them, lay on a couple of pieces of banana leaf and about half the dried avocado leaves.

Fit the lamb pieces on top, pour on the marinade and smear it over all sides of the meat.

Top with the remaining avocado leaves and a couple of pieces of banana leaf.

Burn a raging fire in the pit for about three hours to heat the bricks; when it is mostly embers, remove the last burning logs.

Lower the pan into the pit and pour about half a gallon of water around the lamb so it roasts and steams over the aromatic liquid.

Cover the pit, seal around it with dirt and leave the lamb to smoke-roast and steam about six hours, until succulent.

Lift out the pan, pull off the avocado leaves and lift out the lamb, fall-off-the-bone tender.

Pick the avocado leaves and herbs out of the drippings and serve them as a broth alongside the lamb.

Pull the meat off the bones and serve with beans, tortillas and salad.