South Texas Barbecue (Barbacoa)

Barbacoa served alongside flour tortillas and frijoles borrachos.

Barbacoa served in a taco style with flour tortillas and salsa verde.

Description:

In Texas, there are four main styles of barbecue hailing from the North, South, East and West of the state (Texas is huge). South Texas barbecue, known by its Spanish name “barbacoa” is very different from the other styles of barbecue, due to its Mexican roots. The most traditional cut of meat to use for barbacoa is beef head, although goat meat is also used. The authentic way to cook this dish is in an underground oven, but today, the only restaurant in the country to maintain this tradition is Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que in Brownsville, Texas. Given that most residents of South Texas don’t own an underground coal oven, this recipe is commonly prepared in the oven, as well as in a slow cooker or smoker. The recipe below is designed to be cooked in a smoker or a home oven, so it’s heavier on the spices to give it more of a “barbecue” essence. It would also be traditional to prepare the meat with a simple salt & pepper seasoning, so feel free to adjust to your own taste preferences.

Ingredients:

• 3 flour tortillas (see recipe)

• 2 tbsp chopped white onion

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Barbacoa

• 3 lbs. beef cheeks or chuck roast

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 bay leaf

• 1/2 medium onion, halved

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 cup beef stock, water or beer

Salsa Verde

• 6 tomatillos, husked

• 1 clove garlic, peeled

• 1/4 medium onion

• 1 jalapeno

• 1/4 cup cilantro (optional)

Preparation:

Remove meat from the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking. In a bowl, mix together the garlic powder, salt, chili powder, oregano, cumin and pepper. Evenly rub this spice mix over the meat and allow to rest for at least one hour - you can do this a day in advance if you choose.

Notes:

• Barbacoa is typically consumed in the form of a taco, but you could also eat it with other sides like Mexican rice (see recipe) and frijoles borrachos.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 274 Total Fat: 6.2g Saturated Fat: 1.7g Cholesterol: 43mg Sodium: 585mg Total Carbohydrate: 36.5g Dietary Fiber: 5.9g Total Sugars: 1.3g Protein 19.4g Vitamin D 0 mcg Calcium 82mg Iron 3mg Potassium 420mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.