Barbacoa is cooked in a spicy marinade made from chiles, onions, garlic, herbs, and spices. After cooking until very tender, the meat is shredded with extra marinade before it is served with corn tortillas.
Guajillo chiles have very fruity, floral notes. Substituting will result in a completely different flavor profile.
EQUIPMENT: cast iron skillet, tongs, blender, Instant Pot
Barbacoa Tacos
Cuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Average4
servings15
minutes1
hour30
minutesTraditional Mexican barbacoa.
Ingredients
extra virgin olive oil
10 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 onion, peeled and quartered leaving root end intact
2 chile de arbols
4 guajillo chiles
10 whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
6 dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon sea salt
5 tablespoons lard
4 lbs whole bone-in lamb shoulder, bone-in goat shoulder, bone-in beef chuck roast, beef short ribs, beef cheeks, or beef shanks
prepared, fresh banana leaves (optional)
fresh avocado leaves (optional)
corn tortillas, for serving
salsa, hot sauce, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges, for serving
Directions
- Place large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Rub with a scant amount of olive oil.
- When hot add onion, cut side down; chile de Arbol; guajillo peppers, black peppercorns, and cumin seeds. Toast ingredients, constantly tossing using tongs and taking care not to burn them.
- Add 2 cups filtered water and cook for about 10 minutes, until the peppers have softened and rehydrated.
- Transfer to a blender. Add vinegar, oregano, bay leaves and salt; pulse puree until smooth.
- Add more oil to skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the meat dry with paper towels, salt it well, and place it in the skillet. Brown on all sides.
- Put the trivet or steam rack on the bottom of the inner pot. If using, layer the prepared banana leaves in a criss cross pattern.
- Place the meat in the Instant Pot together with all but one cup of marinade.
- If using, add some avocado leaves on top. Fold the banana leaves in so they cover the beef completely.
- Pressure cook on HI for 45 minutes. Switch on Keep Warm and ‘natural release’ steam.
- Open the pot, let the meat cool a little, and shred it.
- Place large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons lard.
- Add the shredded meat and fry until browned. Stir in remaining one cup of marinade.
- Heat corn tortillas in the oven by draping them over a raised rack. No taco mold needed. Assemble the tacos.
- Serve the barbacoa tacos with salsa and/or hot sauce, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
Notes
- *Remove rough edges of the banana leaves and pass them though a gas stove or chefs torch flame until they soften and change color.
How do you steam the meat if you don’t have avocado leaves or banana leaves? Wouldn’t it fall through the rack? We are in PA where they don’t sell that stuff.
Use the trivet that comes with the Instant Pot. Or use corn husks. I had a banana tree when I lived in San Jose but now I’m in Northern California and there’s no way. You just make do with what you have.
Give it a try as is, it’s pretty darn tasty.
Thank you! I was thinking the meat was diced prior to cooking but I see it’s cooked whole.
I’m really glad you asked. Cooking meat whole allows the collagen and fat to break down and permeate the meat giving it a moist and succulent texture and flavor.
I made a couple of tweaks to the recipe that have hopefully made it more clear.
The banana leaves not only serve to hold the meat together but they impart a more authentic flavor during the cooking process.