Barbacoa Recipes

Steps:

• Heat a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chiles and cook, pressing them down with a spatula, 10 seconds per side; transfer to a plate. Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are charred in spots, about 10 minutes.
• Peel the garlic and transfer to a blender along with the tomatoes and onion (reserve the skillet). Tear the chiles into pieces and add to the blender along with 1/2 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt; pulse until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the skillet, pressing it through with the back of a spoon.
• Add the beef to the skillet and turn to coat in the chile sauce using tongs. Cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until a crust starts to form on the meat, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the cumin, cinnamon and cayenne pepper and cook 1 more minute. Meanwhile, puree 2 1/2 cups water, the cilantro and thyme in the blender; add to the skillet along with the bay leaves.
• Reduce the heat to low. Cover and gently simmer until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours, adding up to 1 1/2 cups water if the sauce gets too thick. Remove the bay leaves and season with salt and black pepper. Serve in tortillas with assorted toppings.

Steps:

• Soak the chickpeas in water overnight. Drain and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).
• Score the skin of the lamb with a very sharp knife. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large cast-iron casserole over high heat, sear the lamb on all sides in the olive oil. Transfer to a plate.
• In the same casserole, add the onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chickpeas, ancho chiles, garlic, epazote and water. Put the lamb back in the casserole. Cover with cactus leaves if using. Cover the pot. Cook in the oven until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, about 6 hours.
• Just before bringing to the table, stir in chopped epazote. Serve with salsa, chopped onions, cilantro, lime wedges and tortillas.

Steps:

• Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Place the dried guajillo chiles into the skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until the color changes and the chiles have puffed, about 5 minutes. Set the chiles aside to cool for a moment. Meanwhile, toast the cumin and cloves in the hot skillet until the cumin seeds begin to pop; remove from the pan and set aside. Remove and discard the stems, seeds, and veins of the chiles, and place into a small bowl. Pour the boiling water over top, and cover. Let the chiles soak for 1 hour.
• Grind the toasted cumin and cloves into a powder, and place into a blender. Add the ancho chile powder, onion, garlic, oregano, thyme, vinegar, and lime juice. Remove the chiles from the soaking water, and place into the blender along with 1/3 cup of the soaking liquid. Cover, and blend until a smooth paste forms.
• Place the beef roast into a mixing bowl, and pour the guajillo chile past over top. Coat the roast on all sides with the paste, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
• Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Transfer the roast and marinade to a roasting pan, and arrange the bay leaves over top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven until the meat is very tender and is easily pulled apart with a fork, about 6 hours. Let stand, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour before discarding the bay leaves and shredding with two forks.

Steps:

• First, trim as much fat as you can from meat. Place in a slow cooker.
• In a blender, add about 1 cup of water. Blend cilantro, garlic (i usually use all of the bulb), onion, salt and pepper with water. (you can use as much or as little spices you want, depending on your taste).
• Pour this mixture over meat then add about 2-3 cups of more water depending on how much meat you are cooking.
• Cook meat in slow cooker on low for about 8 -10 hours. Again, this depends on how much meat you have.
• If you are going to eat this for breakfast (which is the traditional way), cook the day before and let is cool overnight. (I usually start cooking mine on Saturday AM until about 6PM, then let it cool. When cool enough, I refrigerate overnight).
• In the morning (Sunday AM) BEFORE heating up, skim all the grease that comes to the top.
• TOPPINGS: Chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped fresh jalapenos, shredded cheese, & sliced avocados.
• CHEEK MEAT: Beef cheek meat is very tender but very very fatty. You may want to buy more or less meat, depending on the size. You can use beef roast, if you want, but cheek meat is AWESOME (if you can find it).

Steps:

• Place the first 9 ingredients in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Add broth; pulse to combine., Place roast and bay leaves in a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker; pour sauce over top. Cook, covered, on low until meat is tender, 7-9 hours., Prepare rice about 30 minutes before serving. In a large saucepan, combine water, rice, butter and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat; gently stir in cilantro and lime juice., Remove roast from slow cooker; cool slightly. Discard bay leaves and skim fat from cooking juices. Shred beef with 2 forks; return to slow cooker. Serve with rice.

Steps:

• Heat the slow cooker if necessary. Put the chipotle paste, red onion, garlic, cloves, lime juice and cider vinegar into the slow cooker and stir until combined. Add the bay leaves, stock and coriander, then put the beef on top. Use a pair of tongs to turn the meat over a few times in the sauce.
• Put the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on High for 1 hour and then Low for 8 hours or until the meat shreds easily when you pull it apart with 2 forks.
• Serve with the lettuce cups and jalapeño chilles and crème fraîche.

Steps:

• To make the adobo sauce combine vinegar, limejuice, chipotles, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt and cloves in a blender or processor on high speed until smooth.
• Remove most of the fat from the roast and then cut into large chunks (approximately 6).
• Pour oil into a frying pan and sear all sides of roast on medium-high heat until browned.
• Place meat into Crockpot and pour adobo sauce over meat.
• Pour in the chicken broth and add bay leaves.
• Cook on high heat 6 hours or on low all day.
• While still in the Crockpot, shred the meat with two forks and turn the heat to warm. Serve with hard or soft tortilla shells when ready.
• Typical sides include tortillas, rice, black or pinto beans, cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream.
• Don't forget to make my 5 Minute Guacamole to go with it.

Steps:

• Season beef chunks with salt and pepper on all sides.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef in batches; cook until browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer beef to a slow cooker.
• Combine beef broth, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, chipotle peppers, garlic, cumin, oregano, and cloves in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Pour over beef in the slow cooker. Stir in bay leaves.
• Cook on Low until beef is fork-tender, 8 to 10 hours.
• Discard bay leaves. Remove beef and shred using 2 forks. Return beef to the slow cooker to marinate in the sauce for at least 10 more minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; place Anaheim and poblano peppers on top.
• Roast peppers in the preheated oven until skins are charred and bubbly, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add chipotle peppers and cook until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in enough water to cover the peppers; increase heat to medium-high. Weigh down the peppers with something heavy, like another pot, to keep them submerged. Simmer until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Remove Anaheim and poblano peppers from the oven. Let cool until easily handled. Peel and discard seeds. Mince peppers and place in a blender with the chipotle pepper mixture, garlic, and onion. Blend until smooth.
• Pour beef broth and beer into a slow cooker. Stir in the blended pepper mixture, salt, cumin, pepper, marjoram, and allspice. Cut lime in half; squeeze juice into the slow cooker and toss in the lime halves. Add roast.
• Cook on Low for 5 hours. Remove roast and shred the meat with 2 forks. Return to the slow cooker and simmer for 2 hours more. Use tongs to serve straight from the slow cooker.