This ain’t the barbacoa you’ve had at Chipotle. Nope. This is legit.
If you’ve ever patronized a real Mexican restaurant on Saturday morning, you’ve probably had something close to this. But not quite.
The meat in this recipe melts in your mouth quicker than the ice at Sonic. And it has more flavor than the entire menu at your favorite Tex-Mex dive.
As my 20 loyal readers will tell you, I don’t brag much about my recipes. If I post them here, it means I love them. This is one of those recipes that you’ll love as well.
Serve it on tacos, baked potatoes, nachos — it doesn’t matter. This beef barbacoa is more authentic than your order at the local taqueria. And it’s so flavorful, you’ll want to slap your pàdre.
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Beef Barbacoa
Beef Barbacoa — Succulent. Tender. A Mexican delicacy.
- 2½ lbs – Beef cheeks**, trimmed of most fat
- 2 – Dried Ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 – Dried Guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 4 – Garlic cloves
- ¼ cup – Chopped onion
- 1 TB – Salt
- 1 TB – Vegetable oil (or fat rendered from cheek trimmings)
- 1 tsp – Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp – Ground cumin
- ½ tsp – Ground coriander
- Place chiles in small saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer until chiles are soft, about 15 minutes.
- Set aside and allow to cool.
- Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic and cook until aromatic and slightly browned around the edges, about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Place chiles, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and 1 cup of the chile cooking water in a blender; process until smooth.
- Meanwhile, place trimmed cheeks in a slow cooker, braising pot or pressure cooker; top with chile paste and enough water to cover everything — about 3-4 cups.
- Cook (using directions below).
- Serve on soft warm corn tortillas with freshly chopped onions and fresh cilantro.
- Cook on the 'low' setting for 6-7 hours.
- Bring mixture to light boil, then simmer covered for about 4 hours.
- Process for about 45 minutes.
Optional step: Place meat and broth in refrigerator overnight, skim fat, then rewarm.
