Braised Lamb - Latino Style

I've gotten a couple of requests to put up the recipe of the lamb dish I made as part of International Taco Night with my cousins. This uses my favorite technique the braise - sear, sautee, and simmer. Again, it's a combination of things that I dig. A little cuban with the orange juice/garlic and a little mexican with the achiote paste. Whatever this "style" is called, it's really friggin muy delicioso!

Ingredients (approximation)
4 pounds lamb shoulder - cut into large cubes
1 sweet onion sliced
1 tbsp minced cilantro stems
1/2 box achiote paste
1 tbsp ground cumin
5 garlic cloves
3 cups orange juice
Water
3 Chipotle peppers with tbsp adobo sauce
1 lime - juiced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper

1) Sear the lamb over high heat with the olive oil. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. When it's browned on all sides, remove the lamb from the pot. Remove all but 1tbsp of the oil/fat.

2) Sautee the onions, achiote, chipotle, and cilantro over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. After 5 minutes when the vegetables are soft, add the garlic and sautee for another 30 seconds until fragrant.

3) Simmer the mixture adding the lamb, orange juice, and enough water to cover the lamb. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Add the lime juice and stir at the end to cut the richness. Serve with warm tortillas, fresh tomatoes, rinsed and diced white onions, cilantro leaves, and your favorite salsa/hot sauce. The lamb is really tender, smokey/spicy from the chipotle, slighly sweet from the orange juice, and complex due to the achiote seasoning. Buen provecho!