Cooking underground: Barbacoa

Barbacoa is a crowd favorite and has always been present in traditional Mexican food. 

The cooking technique is found all over the world: from Hawaii to the Philippines, abbreviated BBQ for the Texans and of course in Mexico.

Traditionally, barbacoa in Mexico is from the state of Hidalgo, about two hours outside of Mexico City. There it is done with lamb that is salted, seasoned and then wrapped in charred agave leaves. A pit is dug into the ground and for a massive fire to be started, using big logs of wood that will become coals, keeping the heat for a long time. Rocks are placed in the pit too. Carefully placed two or sometimes four large pots (depending how big the pit is) of water with chickpeas and sometimes potatoes on top the wrapped lamb. It is then covered with a tarp and then comes the dirt to seal the heat. The lamb, often more than one, will slow-cook to perfection. This process only takes 14-16 hours. 

When is time to unbury the fork tender lamb that is usually served with salsa de pasilla mexicano, fresh onion, cilantro and of course the drippings we call consomé.

Unlike in Texas, where it’s eaten with side dishes, here it served with freshly made tortillas. It is a unique Mexican dish that I highly recommend when visiting Mexico City, Hidalgo or Queretaro.

In Oaxaca we also use lamb, but also we use goat, as this is the traditional Tlacolula style barbacoa. Similarly, we salt the lamb -or goat- but instead of agave, we wrap it in fresh heirloom avocado leafs giving its unique licorice flavor. The goat is rubbed with an adobo that is usually done with chile guajillo, spices, garlic, vinegar and salt as well as heirloom avocado leaf.

The fork tender lamb and goat is usually served in a consome garnished with shredded cabbage and cilantro. As a taco, often rolled with cabbage and cilantro and then dipped in the broth to moisten the tortilla just a little bit more. 

The salsas that are mandatory with Oaxacan barbacoa are the traditional Oaxaca guacamole (that is a more sauce like guacamole, done with onion, cilantro, avocados, lime juice and serrano) and salsa cruda (which is a molcajete-style, left a bit rougher, with raw tomatillos, onion, cilantro, serrano and lime juice) and lastly, raw habaneros and red onions to spice you up!

Over the years, I have found many versions of barbacoa in Oaxaca. Some do it with beef, some do it even with chicken or rabbit and even with pork.

I have had the desire to do my own again. This time, not in a restaurant kitchen and without timers. Just an overnight and in the ground, unrushed type of cooking.

For the upcoming Discover Oaxaca tour, I want to make it part of the program to cook our own at the cooking school and our students to learn how to do it at home, without the need to dig a pit.

Additionally, during our market day, we will also have the opportunity to try Elodia’s recipe of the Tlacolula-style lamb and the goat side by side and compare the differences in the flavor of each of the slow-cooked meats.

We get to try barbacoa not only in Oaxaca, but also in our Mexico City tour, where the Hidalgo-style is more popular. We get to enjoy it during the day we visit the pyramids of Teotihuacan. 

This is a tradition that for many years and many cultures has prevailed it is one of a kind and only trying is the best way to understand it.

Como siempre, buen provecho…
Kaelin

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