Instant Pot Barbacoa Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cut of meat to use for barbacoa? ›

In the US, people typically make barbacoa with chuck roast, brisket and beef cheeks. However, any cut of beef that has a lot of connective tissue and takes a long time to cook until tender works well.

Barbacoa (or Mexican shredded beef) is made out of tougher cuts of meat that require long, slow cooking times with flavorful chiles and seasonings. It's usually hand shredded and used for tacos, burritos, etc.

Barbacoa is made by braising beef for many hours until tender. At Chipotle, they first cook it sous vide before braising it. Carnitas is made by slow-cooking pork for many hours until tender. Then, it's crisped up by roasting or pan frying it.

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.

Is barbacoa always shredded? While shredded barbacoa is a common way of serving the dish, it is not the only way.

The Barbacoa at Chipotle is made with beef that has been seasoned with a blend of spices, including chipotle chilies, cumin, cloves, garlic, and Mexican oregano. This seasoning gives the Barbacoa its signature smoky, spicy, and aromatic flavor profile.

The term Birria was originally the regional name given in Jalisco to what is known as barbacoa, meats cooked in a pit or earth oven, in other parts of México.

Barbacoa at Chipotle is made from tender and moist seared beef that's been braised in an incredible blend of adobo, lime, cumin, garlic, and oregano. This slow-cooked masterpiece can be added to tacos, salads, bowls, and more!

Barbacoa can be served in a variety of ways, and salsas are the customary accompaniment. The most popular way to enjoy barbacoa is to serve it with tortillas for barbacoa tacos. Zaragoza recommends making tacos dorados (fried tacos) and topping your barbacoa with Mexican crema, shredded cabbage, and salsa.

What is the Spanish word for barbacoa? ›

In their native Haitian language, the Taíno originally used the term barbacoa or barbakoa for any kind of wooden rack, not just one used for cooking. From there, as the barbacoa style of cooking spread (as Spanish settlers moved into North America), the word evolved becoming barbecue.

Birria is a Mexican dish that is made from goat or beef. Goat is the traditional meat used for birria, but beef can also be used. Barbacoa is a type of meat that can be used for birria.

Our Barbacoa mainly comes from the shoulder, because those cuts have enough fat to keep the meat moist during our long braising method, making the end result seriously juicy and tender.

Barbacoa is a Mexican slow cooked meat with spices. It's extremely tender, flavorful, and usually served shredded as a filling or topping.

“Barbacoa, made from the meat of a cow's head, is cheap yet rich in flavor.” Customarily served at weekend breakfasts, the cheek, or cachete, is loaded with collagen, and slow-roasting enhances its savory flavor and silky texture.

Round and round we go When it comes to beef, it's not just the quality that matters - it's the cut, too. Our Barbacoa mainly comes from the shoulder, because those cuts have enough fat to keep the meat moist during our long braising method, making the end result seriously juicy and tender.

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).