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Raccoon barbacoa served with corn, black beans, avocado, tomatoes, cheese, and a lime on top of rice
Adam Berkelmans

Bandit Burrito Bowls with Raccoon Barbacoa

Shredded, slow-cooked raccoon meat makes a delicious topper to this burrito bowl
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 6 hours
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Barbacoa
  • 1 raccoon split into 4 pieces (front legs, hind legs)
  • 1 tbsp lard or oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 3 chipotles in adobo sauce from can
  • 2 limes juiced
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 bay leaves
  • ¾ cup beef stock or game stock
For the Pico de Gallo
  • 2 ripe tomatoes diced
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ cup onion diced (red or white)
  • 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper minced, seeds removed
  • ⅓ cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
  • 1 lime juiced
For the Burrito Bowls
  • 6 servings white or brown rice cooked (try cooking in chicken stock instead of water)
  • 1 can sweet corn drained
  • 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 avocados sliced, cubed, or mashed
  • 2 limes cut into wedges
  • 2 cups shredded cheese
  • Pico de Gallo see recipe above
  • Raccoon Barbacoa see recipe above
  • 1 tub sour cream
  • Cilantro for garnish
  • Hot sauce

Method
 

Dutch Oven Method
  1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
  2. Add the oil to a Dutch oven over high heat.
  3. Add the raccoon quarters and sear on all sides until well-browned.
  4. Reduce heat to medium and add the rest of the ingredients, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
  5. Cook for 4 hours or until the meat shreds easily.
  6. Remove the raccoon and let it cool.
  7. Put the Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat and reduce the liquid until thick and saucy.
  8. Shred all of the meat off the bones, discarding the bones when you’re done. Shred the meat with two forks or with your hands. Toss the meat in the reduced sauce and mix well.
  9. From here, you can add the saucy meat to a greased skillet over medium-high heat and crisp it up, or just serve as-is.
Slow Cooker Method
  1. Add all of the Raccoon Barbacoa ingredients to a slow cooker, set to low, and let cook for 8 hours, or until the meat easily shreds off the bone. Remove the raccoon and let it cool.
  2. Meanwhile, either set the slow cooker to high and cook, uncovered, until the liquid reduces to a thick sauce, or transfer the liquid to a pot and do the same on the stovetop over high heat.
  3. Shred all of the meat off the bones, discarding the bones when you’re done. Shred the meat with two forks or with your hands. Toss the meat in the reduced sauce and mix well.
  4. From here, you can add the saucy meat to a greased skillet over medium-high heat and crisp it up, or just serve as-is.
Putting it together
  1. Mix the pico de gallo ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Split the rice between 6 bowls. Add a heaping spoonful of raccoon barbacoa to each bowl. Top the rice with even amounts of corn, beans, avocado, cheese, pico de gallo, and sour cream. Garnish with cilantro, hot sauce, and lime wedges. Enjoy!

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