Barbacoa is a dish made of meat that has been slow-cooked over an open fire. The most common meats used for barbacoa are beef, pork, lamb or goat. Hacienda Colorado offers barbacoa street tacos made with beef that has been slow-cooked for hours until it is so tender it falls apart. Not only do we offer street tacos, we also have fajitas, burritos, and Quesa-birria.
The history of barbacoa is thought to have originated from the indigenous people of the Americas. Barbacoa was originally cooked in a hole in the ground, lined with hot stones and covered with leaves. The meat was cooked slowly over the fire, and the resulting dish was tender, flavorful and succulent.
Today, barbacoa is still popular in Mexico where it is often served as a street food. It can also be found in restaurants throughout the country.
How is Barbacoa and Birria Made?
Birria is a dish from the Mexican state of Jalisco made with beef or goat, typically rib meat. It is usually served as a stew, but can also be served as a sandwich. Birria is made with a variety of spices, including chili peppers, cumin and oregano.
Barbacoa, on the other hand, is a traditional dish from the Mexican state of Michoacan. It is made with either beef or lamb, and is usually cooked in an earthen pit. Barbacoa can be served as a stew, but is also often served as tacos.
The difference in the two dishes comes down to the meat. Birria is made with beef or goat meat, while barbacoa is made with beef, pork, lamb or goat. Both dishes are delicious, and you can’t go wrong with either one. So, if you’re looking for a tasty Mexican dish, be sure to try barbacoa at Hacienda Colorado.
How to Best Enjoy Your Barbacoa
There are many ways to enjoy barbacoa. It can be served as a stew, tacos or a sandwich. It is also popular as a street food in Mexico. No matter how you choose to eat it, barbacoa is sure to please your taste buds.
If you’re looking for something hearty and filling, try barbacoa tacos. The meat is slow-cooked until it is tender and falls apart and is then served in a warm tortilla. You can add your favorite toppings, such as melted cheese, roasted habanero salsa, roasted jalapenos, pico de gallo, cilantro, avocado and crema.
No matter how you choose to eat it, barbacoa is sure to satisfy your craving for Mexican food. Be sure to stop by Hacienda Colorado the next time you’re in the mood for some delicious Mexican cuisine.
Visit Hacienda Colorado to Try Our Barbacoa Tacos
If you’re looking for a delicious Mexican meal, be sure to head over to Hacienda Colorado and try our barbacoa tacos. The tender, slow-cooked beef is perfect for taco lovers of all ages, and we know you won’t be disappointed. So what are you waiting for? Come on in and see us today!
Commonly Asked Questions About Barbacoa Dishes
Is barbacoa beef or pork?
Barbacoa, in its most traditional form, is lamb or goat meat that has been slow-cooked over an open fire. However, in modern Mexican cuisine, beef or pork are often used as well.
What is the origin of the word barbacoa?
The word barbacoa comes from the Taíno word barbacoa, which means “a framework of sticks set upon posts”. This was the original method of cooking meat by the Taíno people of the Caribbean. When the Spanish arrived in the region, they adopted the word and began to use it to refer to a variety of dishes that were cooked over an open fire or pit. Today, barbacoa is most commonly associated with a dish made from beef that is slowly cooked over an open fire or in a pit filled with charcoal. The meat is wrapped in banana leaves and allowed to cook slowly until it is falling-off-the-bone tender.
FAQs
The difference in the two dishes comes down to the meat. Birria is made with beef or goat meat, while barbacoa is made with beef, pork, lamb or goat. Both dishes are delicious, and you can't go wrong with either one. So, if you're looking for a tasty Mexican dish, be sure to try barbacoa at Hacienda Colorado.
What is the difference between barbacoa and birria? ›
In short, birria is a type of barbacoa, but barbacoa is not birria. Barbacoa is more closely related to barbecue, while birria is braised or steamed. Barbacoa is traditionally slowly steamed in its own juices with a marinade, and most barbacoa is made from beef (although lamb or mutton are also common).
What are the different types of barbacoa? ›
However, in Mexico, barbacoa is made from beef, goat, lamb or mutton. In the southern region of Yucatan, there is even a variation of barbacoa called cochinita pibil, which is made from pork. In the US, people typically make barbacoa with chuck roast, brisket and beef cheeks.
What Mexican dish is similar to birria? ›
These three dishes are very similar, but have some differences. Barbacoa can be either shredded or chopped, birria is usually shredded and served with a sauce or broth, and carnitas is usually chopped.
What are the other names for barbacoa? ›
Barbacoa was later adopted into the cuisine of the southwestern United States by way of Texas. The word transformed in time to "barbecue". In the Philippines, the Visayan dish balbacua (also spelled balbakwa) is named after barbacoa, probably for the similar length of cooking time and tenderness of the meat.
What is the difference between Del Real birria and barbacoa? ›
Birria is made with a variety of spices, including chili peppers, cumin and oregano. Barbacoa, on the other hand, is a traditional dish from the Mexican state of Michoacan. It is made with either beef or lamb, and is usually cooked in an earthen pit. Barbacoa can be served as a stew, but is also often served as tacos.
What meat is birria made of? ›
Rich with chilies and cozy, warm spices like cinnamon and ginger, birria is most authentically made with goat meat, but beef birria—”birria de res”—has become popular of late. We just adore this hearty, fragrant, chile-heavy stew-like braise, and we know you will, too.
What is real barbacoa? ›
Barbacoa is a method of cooking meat (historically lamb or goat, though beef or pork is often used today) that produces tender and juicy results. It's traditionally steam-cooked underground, but modern barbacoa can be prepared over an open fire, on the stove, or in a slow cooker.
What part of the cow is the barbacoa? ›
“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.
Is barbacoa always shredded? ›
While shredded barbacoa is a common way of serving the dish, it is not the only way.
The name Birria in Mexico refers to stew, but in Spanish it defines something as useless or of lesser value. Probably a reference to feral goat meat. Today the most common meat used for Birria is beef.
Which tortilla is better for birria? ›
In short, corn tortillas are the way to go for your birria tacos. If you really like flour tortillas you can use them too, but in that case you'll be eating a birria burrito and you experience will be different.
Why is birria so popular in Mexico? ›
The Spanish, now having entrenched themselves as overlords, found eating goats to be below their station, so the Aztecs themselves had to come up with a solution to their goat problem. Birria was the way forward. As a traditionally tough meat, slow-cooking goat in vinegar allowed the meat to soften considerably.
What does the word birria mean in English? ›
Birria (Spanish: [ˈbirja]) is a meat stew or soup, mainly made with goat or beef.
What is another name for birria tacos? ›
Birria Tacos (tacos de birria and sometimes called quesabirria tacos) consists of the braised meat inside a corn tortilla that's been pan-fried in the fat that sits at the top of the birria.
Which is better, barbacoa or carnitas? ›
If you like beef, then barbacoa is the way to go. However, if you prefer pork, then carnitas is the better option. If you like things spicy, then barbacoa might be the way to go. Its blend of spices and chili peppers creates a bold and robust flavor that is sure to satisfy your taste buds.
Is barbacoa the same as shredded beef? ›
Barbacoa (or Mexican shredded beef) is made out of tougher cuts of meat that require long, slow cooking times with flavorful chiles and seasonings. It's usually hand shredded and used for tacos, burritos, etc.
Why are birria tacos different? ›
Birria tacos, also known as tacos de birria or quesabirria tacos, include braised meat and cheese inside a pan-fried corn tortilla. Birria tacos were originally made with goat meat, but locally they are often made with beef, melty Oaxacan cheese, cilantro, lime and white onion.
What's the difference between barbacoa and carnitas? ›
Its main distinguishing factor is its meat base — rather than beef used in barbacoa, carnitas are prepared from pork. Additionally, barbacoa utilizes a fire-based steaming method rather than a fat-based rendering.
What part of the cow is barbacoa? ›
“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.
