Story and Recipe collected Eyzel Torres, Summer 2020
Barbacoa is a traditional Mexican dish usually made from beef or goat and seasoned with a variety of dried chilies. This recipe is my mother’s favorite because it’s simple and it reminds her of her childhood- it’s one of the dishes that her mother used to make during special occasions. My mother’s family owned a bakery when she was growing up in México and the time she didn’t spend at school was spent selling bread. Because of this, her family never taught her how to cook. So when she came to the U.S. at age 16, she did so without ever really spending any time in the kitchen. The way she learned was very non-traditional- it was through watching other people cook or just experimenting in the kitchen. A love for cooking ensued from this experimentation and my mother found a great passion. For her, learning how to prepare this recipe was a way to feel connected to her family and home back in México.
Today, the act of smelling and eating barbacoa reminds her of those happy childhood memories when she would spend time with her parents and sisters. And every time she cooks this dish, she is happy to share it with her own family and be able to create new memories with us. She also likes to think that when she is gone, her children will remember the times we shared barbacoa together- the same way she remembers her time with her family. Her experience and memories with this dish span generations. This means a lot to me because I have never been to México and yet, I feel a powerful connection to the culture and spirit of my mother’s country through the food we make together- something I believe makes the art of cooking and sharing food very special.
Ingredients
5 lbs of chicken or beef
6 dried Guajillo peppers
10 dried Chile de árbol peppers
5 garlic cloves
1 medium sized onion
5 to 7 dried Bay leaves
5 to 7 dried avocado leaves
3 tablespoons of chicken broth powder (instead of salt)
Directions
Salsa -
Roast the peppers
Soak the peppers in water
Cut the onion
Once the peppers are soft, put them in the blender with the onion and garlic cloves
Blend all the ingredients and strain them
Meat -
Preheat the oven to 350° F
Season the preferred meat with the broth powder
On a baking dish, place the meat, dried leaves, and salsa in multiple layers
Meat, leaves, salsa, meat, leaves, salsa, etc.
Cover the baking dish with foil
Place the baking dish in the oven
Take out when the meat is cooked fully*
*The cooking time depends on the type of meat used
For chicken - about 1 hour
For beef - about 2 hours
To eat the barbacoa, serve it as tacos with optional cilantro, diced onion, green or red salsa, rice, and beans.