Barbacoa Lamb & Beef Tacos

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the squash ends. Using a knife, peel and halve the squash; scoop out and discard the pulp and seeds. Cut the squash into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Cut off and discard the stem ends of the Brussels sprouts; halve lengthwise. Quarter the limes. Peel and halve the onion. Small dice 1 half; place in a bowl with the juice of 2 lime wedges. Thinly slice the remaining half. Pit, peel and thinly slice the avocado; place in a bowl with the juice of 2 lime wedges and season with salt. Finely chop the cilantro leaves and stems.

Place the squash and Brussels sprouts on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single, even layer and roast, turning halfway through, 20 to 22 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving dish, leaving the oven on. Set aside in a warm place.

While the vegetables roast, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), combine the sliced onion, sugar, the juice of the remaining lime wedges and ¼ cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling on high. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the onion has softened and the liquid is slightly reduced in volume. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Let cool, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the onion cools, rinse and wipe out the pan. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the diced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the ground lamb and beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, frequently breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through.

To the pan, add the tomato paste and as much of the spice blend as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the tomato paste is dark red and fragrant. Add ¾ cup of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until thickened and saucy. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place.

Stack the tortillas on a large piece of foil; tightly wrap. Carefully place directly onto the oven rack and warm 6 to 8 minutes, or until heated through. Remove from the oven and carefully unwrap; transfer to a serving dish. Divide the finished filling and avocado between the warmed tortillas. Top the roasted vegetables with the pickled onion (reserving the pickling liquid). Garnish the tacos with a drizzle of the reserved pickling liquid and the cilantro. Enjoy!