What to Eat in Mexico – Barbacoa, Pitt-Cooked Lamb from the Central...

Coming back to my series about Mexican food, I want to highlight a regional delight from the area surrounding Mexico City, la barbacoa.

Not Anything Like “Barbecue”

Unlike it’s name would suggest, it has not much to do with what most people think of as a barbecue. Although the origin of the word is the same, meaning “a wooden grill to roast meat” in the language of the Taino people from the Caribbean, it has been adopted to mean a number of different kinds of meat (pork, beef, goat, even shrimp), cooked in different styles, throughout Florida, Texas, Australia, … as well as Mexico.

In the central highlands of Mexico, more specifically the states of Querétaro, Tlaxcala, México, and most famously Hidalgo, barbacoa always refers to lamb, cooked in a traditional way. It is most typically eaten on weekends and holidays, and it’s not uncommon to see entire families sitting down at a street-stall or a market to partake of this delicacy.

Pre-Columbian Style Cooking

The traditional way to prepare barbacoa is by digging a hole, filling the bottom with hot rocks and a layer of maguey leaves, on which the meat is put. A pot may be placed underneath to capture the juices. The whole thing is covered with more maguey leaves, rocks, and completely buried for twelve hours, during which a fire is burned above it. This cooking method is strongly reminiscent of cochinita pibil, birria, or other Mexican dishes using this ancient way of pit-cooking meat slowly.

Since this way of preparation would be highly difficult to practice in urban settings, many vendors have adopted a slightly different cooking style. They cook the meat slowly on vapor, in gas-heated stainless steel containers, though still with maguey leaves. The process can be readily observed at any barbacoa stand, especially if you arrive early.

Masiza, Pancita, Costilla, y Lomo

The various types of tacos made from barbacoa are maciza, which is the meat in general, costilla are the ribs, lomo is the back of the sheep, and my favorite: pancita, or “little stomach”, which is filled with chopped-up pieces of the lamb’s head, seasoned with herbs and spices. This last delicacy is what I think comes closest to the Scottish specialty haggis, though I’ve only heard about the latter one. There is also an additional type called campechano, which has nothing to do with the state of Campeche, but just means a combination of maciza and pancita.

Along with the tacos many people love to eat consomé, which is the broth containing the juices of the meat, as well as rice, garbanzo beans, herbs and spices. As always, there is salsa on the side, diced onions and cilantro, as well as limes to squeeze on top your taco or into the consomé.

Don Poncho, Our Local Barbacoa Connection

All of the photos were taken at the barbacoa stand on our local street corner. The vendors of Don Poncho come every Friday, Saturday and Sunday to the street of Gob. Rafael Rebollar, between Gral. José Morán and Gob. José Ceballos in the Colonia San Miguel Chapultepec, where their distinctive blue tent can be seen from afar. They are a cheerful bunch, and the food is super delicious. So if you happen to be in Mexico City one weekend, I can highly recommend to check them out! It’s generally a good idea to arrive early, since barbacoa is commonly eaten in the morning, as a typical Mexican weekend breakfast.