History of Barbacoa - Aqui es Texcoco (2024)

FAQs

What is the origin of the barbacoa? ›

Even though many of us associate barbacoa with Mexican cuisine, the term and the cooking style originated in the Caribbean with the native Taino people, and many food historians agree that all forms of barbecue in the Americas are descendants of this style of cooking.

Barbacoa is an ancient style of BBQ to be put simply. The oldest known use of it was by the Aztec. They would dig a deep hole in the earth and build a fire of very hot coals, line it with agave leaves and slow roast (almost steam) small game meats, birds and sometimes fish.

The origin of the word barbacoa comes from the Taíno language, specifically in pre-Hispanic Cuba. “It referred generally to a wood-burning hole in the ground used to cook meats,” says Jonathan Zaragoza, executive chef of Birrieria Zaragoza in Chicago.

Raúl Guerrero, a journalist in the central Mexican state of Hidalgo, the central Mexican state most closely associated with barbacoa, told me this had to do with the Jewish commander under Hernán Cortés who had first been put in charge of the region that's now Hidalgo and who first introduced sheep farming—and, ...

Barbacoa was originally cooked in a hole in the ground, lined with hot stones and covered with leaves. The meat was cooked slowly over the fire, and the resulting dish was tender, flavorful and succulent. Today, barbacoa is still popular in Mexico where it is often served as a street food.

In addition to its delicious flavor, barbacoa is also a great source of nutrients. The slow cooking process helps to retain the meat's natural juices, which makes it moist and flavorful. The spices used to season the meat also have health benefits, such as helping to reduce inflammation and improve digestion.

Barbacoa is a method of cooking meat (historically lamb or goat, though beef or pork is often used today) that produces tender and juicy results. It's traditionally steam-cooked underground, but modern barbacoa can be prepared over an open fire, on the stove, or in a slow cooker.

While the Aztecs ruled, they farmed large areas of land. Staples of their diet were maize, beans and squash. To these, they added chilies and tomatoes. They also harvested Acocils, an abundant crayfish-like creature found in Lake Texcoco, as well as Spirulina algae which they made into cakes.

In the U.S., barbacoa is often prepared with parts from the heads of cattle, such as the cheeks. In northern Mexico, it is also sometimes made from beef head, but more often it is prepared from goat meat (cabrito).

Why Is Barbacoa So Greasy? Barbacoa comes from beef cheek or cow head. This part of the body is already a fatty cut and with fat melting from the slow-cooking process, this can make barbacoa so greasy.

Is barbacoa the same as birria? ›

Sometimes you'll see barbacoa made with pork or birria made with chicken. However, their cooking methods are the clearest difference between these two items. Barbacoa is traditionally made in a steam pit underground, but its cooking methods have evolved over the years.

According to the book Pre-Hispanic Mexican Cuisine: The Food of the Ancient Mexicans, which Barbacoa Renatos has used as a source, the Mayans came up with the technique of steam-cooking meat in underground ovens, which keeps both the juices from the animal and the smoke and heat from escaping and forces them back into ...

It is widely believed the West Indies native Taino people, a subgroup of the South American Arawaks, first used green, fire-resistant bearded fig branches for cooking. They marinated foods in tropical herbs and spices to enhance natural flavors and preserve them after cooking.

Chicken is the most consumed meat in Mexico: Comecarne – Fidesur.

Beef Barbacoa Ingredients

Beef Chuck Roast: Make sure to cut this into 3-inch chunks before adding into the slow cooker. Chipotles In Adobo Sauce: These peppers add the most delicious smoky flavor and just the right amount of heat.

In the U.S., barbacoa is often prepared with parts from the heads of cattle, such as the cheeks. In northern Mexico, it is also sometimes made from beef head, but more often it is prepared from goat meat (cabrito).

Contrary to some beliefs, barbacoa (bar-bah-COE-ah) is not Spanish for barbecue. Fairly well-known in South Texas and along the Mexican border, it remains either unknown or poorly-copied in most other areas of the country.

Best beef for Beef Barbacoa: Beef cheeks

The Tex-Mex version tends to use beef cheeks. This cut yields pulled beef that is outrageously tender but also remains succulent and juicy, thanks to the fine fat marbling and ample connective tissue that breaks down with slow cooking into rich, lip-sticking gelatin.

Depending on where in Mexico the barbacoa is being made, the meat can be lamb, mutton, goat, pork or beef. It's a head-to-tail method of cooking and depending on the meat being cooked, the stomach is sometimes stuffed with the organ meat chopped and highly seasoned with chiles and spices.