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.

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, 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.

Spices: Just a little cumin, oregano, ground cloves, salt and pepper take this meat to the next level. Bay Leaves: A few bay leaves simmer in the juices to help round out the flavor.

Barbacoa is slightly more comparable to what we know as barbecue than birria is. Birria is has a thinner consistency than barbacoa, so it's a little soupy and traditionally served as a stew. These days, you'll find it in tacos and even on nachos as it's made its way through the United States.

Both are delicious and popular menu items that are flavorful. They're also both very tender, thanks to their long cooking time, which breaks down the collagen in the meat. If you like beef, then barbacoa is the way to go. However, if you prefer pork, then carnitas is the better option.

The health value of barbacoa depends on various factors, including the ingredients used, portion sizes and individual dietary needs and preferences. To make the healthiest barbacoa, consider using lean cuts of meat, such as the 100% grass-fed beef from Acabonac Farms.

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.

Our English term barbecue comes from Caribbean Indian word barbacoa, but despite their common origins, these two words do not denote the same thing. Barbecue involves cooking food over a grill, while barbacoa is a steaming/baking process.

The most common barbacoa prepared and consumed all across Mexico is barbacoa de res (beef barbacoa). In many regions, specially in southern Mexico and along the Gulf Coast, entire cow barbacoa is prepared.

What is birria made of? ›

Birria (Spanish: [ˈbirja]) is a regional variation of barbacoa from western Mexico, mainly made with goat, beef or lamb. The meat is marinated in an adobo made of vinegar, dried chiles, garlic, and herbs and spices (including cumin, bay leaves, and thyme) before being cooked in a broth (Spanish: consomé).

If you are wondering, “What to serve with barbacoa beef?” Serve it over rice with whatever fresh veggies you like. You can't go wrong with corn, black beans, green onions, tomatoes, avocados, and some cilantro! It also pairs well with my Brazilian Cheese Bread recipe.

What Is Barbacoa Sauce Made Of? For this recipe, barbacoa sauce is made of beef broth, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, yellow onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, ground cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, lime juice, and allspice.

Make the most incredible smoked beef barbacoa with beef cheeks and just three other ingredients. Traditional barbacoa is made by taking an entire cow head, wrapping it in maguey leaves, burying in the ground to cook and then picking all the meat from the skull.

We recommend a heaver smoking wood or pellet such as oak, mesquite or hickory.

In the U.S., barbacoa is often prepared with parts from the heads of cattle, such as the cheeks, as in Mexico. In central Mexico, the meat of choice is lamb, and in the Yucatan, their traditional version, cochinita pibil (pit-style pork), is prepared with pork.