Beef Barbacoa History and Recipe

Slow Cooker – Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Instructions

If you are a fan of Chipotle restaurant’s Beef Barbacoa, then you will love this easy-to-make recipe to enjoy in your tacos, burritos, or even served over rice.  Traditionally barbacoa is slow roasted meat over an open fire.  In this recipe, we will also provide easy-to-make slow-cooker (crock pot) directions.  This Beef Barbacoa recipe has a wonderful heat that slowly sneaks up on your taste buds!  My son-in-law, who loves spicy foods, gave this recipe a big thumbs ups.  This barbacoa beef will go well with our Cilantro Lime Rice.  For this recipe, I have provided both slow cooker and Instant Pot pressure cooker instructions.

 

Beef Barbacoa

 

History of Barbacoa:

As the Spanish explorers arrived in the new world, they found the indigenous people of the Caribbean preserving meats in the sun.  To keep the meat from spoiling and getting infested with bugs, they would build small, smoky fires and slowly cook the meat on racks above the fires.  The natives of the West Indies called this process “barbacoa” which is generally believed to be the origin of the modern word Barbeque.

Barbacoa style of cooking found its way to Mexico which was further developed by the Chichimeca Indians of Northern Mexico.  With their method, they would dig a hole in the ground and build a fire pit.  In the pit they would place volcanic rocks over the fire to help distribute the heat.  The meat is salted, then wrapped in leaves from the maguey cactus plant (also known as agave), and placed on top of the hot rocks.  The leaves are then covered with dirt to trap the heat.  Slowly the meat will cook underground for several hours in a hot, steamy, oven-like environment.  The results of this slow cooking process makes the meat fall off the bone tender and moist.  This method of cooking is very similar to the Hawaiian technique of building an underground imu oven to slow cook pork.

Moles or Salsas were used as the sauces to accompany the meat which would be considered the first barbeque sauces.

For many Mexican families, the process of cooking barbacoa is like a religious ceremony.  Due to the long cooking times and setup, barbacoa is usually cooked for special occasions and fiestas.  When Mexican’s think of barbacoa, they are reminded of happy family and community celebrations.  Today, barbacoa is often found at Roadside stands or small open restaurants all over Mexico and the flavors will vary by regions.  “In the far north, cow head predominates.  In the area around Monterray, goat is preferred.  Pig is served in the Yucatan, and sheep in Hildago.”  The region of Texcoco, which is east of Mexico City is known as the home of barbacoa.

 

 

Beef Barbacoa Recipe:
Prep Time
20 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Beef Barbacoa History, Beef Barbacoa Recipe
Ingredients
  • 4 to 5 pounds beef chuck roast 
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt or kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 
  • 4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 teaspoons cumin 
  • 1 teaspoon oregano 
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 whole lime (squeeze juice into a small cup and reserve)*
  • 1 cup chicken stock or broth (homemade or canned)**
  • 4 to 6 chipotle chile peppers in adobe sauce***
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons adobe sauce (from can)
  • 2 bay leaves 
  • Salt to taste
  • Cotilla Cheese
  • Lime juice, fresh squeezed
  • Avocado slices
  • Pico de Gallo
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions:
  1. Preheat crock pot/slow cooker.

  2. Trim any excess fat off the beef chuck roast.  Cut into large 4-inch chunks and rub salt into cut roast pieces.

  3. In large skillet over medium-high heat, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  Once the oil has been heated up, add the beef roast chunks and brown on all sides.  Remove from pan and place browned beef in the bottom of the preheated slow cooker.

    Beef Barbacoa Browning
  4. While beef is browning, using your blender add vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, lime juice, chicken broth, chipotle chiles, and adobe sauce.  Cover blender with lid and blend until ingredients are pureed into a sauce.  Add salt to taste.

  5. Important Tip:  Chipotle chiles and adobe sauce are very spicy.  Start slowly by blending in just 2 to 3 chipotle chiles and 1 tablespoon of adobe sauce and then taste to test the spiciness.  Add more chipotle chiles and adobe sauce if you want to increase the spicy flavor.  If sauce gets too spicy, add additional chicken broth or water, 1/4 cup at a time, to reduce the heat.)  Pour the sauce over the top of the beef chunks and add bay leaves.

    Opened can of chipotle chiles for beef barbacoa recipe.
  6. Pouring chipotle chile sauce over the browned beef.
  7. Cover with lid and cook on high heat for 4 to 5 hours or low heat for 8 to 10 hours.  Beef is done when it is "fall apart" tender and can be easily shredded with fork.

  8. Using two forks, shred the beef and stir together until combined with sauce.

    Barbacoa Beef Shredded
  9. Serve with Flour TortillasCilantro Lime Rice, and your favorite toppings.  Learn How To Make Homemade Flour Tortillas.

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Instructions:
  1. Trim any excess fat off the beef chuck roast.  Cut into large 4-inch chunks and rub salt into cut roast pieces.

  2. Remove the lid from the pressure cooker and select the Saute button and adjust to high heat setting. After the inner pot has heated up, add the olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot.  Once the oil has been heated up, add the beef roast chunks and brown on all sides.  

  3. While beef is browning, using your blender add vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, lime juice, chicken broth, chipotle chiles, and adobe sauce.  Cover blender with lid and blend until ingredients are pureed into a sauce.  Add salt to taste.

  4. Important Tip:  Chipotle chiles and adobe sauce are very spicy.  Start slowly by blending in just 2 to 3 chipotle chiles and 1 tablespoon of adobe sauce and then taste to test the spiciness.  Add more chipotle chiles and adobe sauce if you want to increase the spicy flavor.  If sauce gets too spicy, add additional chicken broth or water, 1/4 cup at a time, to reduce the heat.)  Once the beef has been browned on all sides, pour the sauce over the top of the beef chunks and add bay leaves.

  5. Cover with pressure cooker lid and seal to close. Adjust the pressure valve to Sealing to make sure the pressure will be locked in. Next select the Manual button and make sure it is set to high pressure.  Set the cooking time to 60 minutes. Once the cooking time is finished allow for a Natural Pressure Release (usually takes 15-20 minutes) Open the lid to check the beef.  Beef is done when it is "fall apart" tender and can be easily shredded with fork.  Note: If the beef has not yet reached the desired tenderness, cover with the pressure cooker lid again and seal closed. Adjust the pressure valve to Sealing and select the Manual button at high pressure and cook for an additional 10 minutes.  When the cooking time is finished, Quick release the pressure, open the lid and check the meat again.  Repeat this step if necessary.

  6. Using two forks, shred the beef and stir together until combined with sauce.

  7. Serve with Flour TortillasCilantro Lime Rice, and your favorite toppings.  Learn How To Make Homemade Flour Tortillas.

Recipe Notes

* Can substitute 1/4 cup lime juice.

** Check out Chicken Stock - Basic Chicken Stock to learn how easy it is to make your own homemade chicken stock.

*** Canned chipotle chili’s in adobe sauce can be found in Hispanic section of grocery store.

Barbacoa Beef

Sources:

Aques Texcoco, History of Barbacoa, by Francisco Perez

The History of Barbeque: Part 1 and True Barbecue, by Derrick Riches

Banderas News, Entertainment – Restaurants & Dining, Finding a Thousand-Year-Old Recipe for Barbacoa, June 2005

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