Café Pasqual’s Barbacoa
This barbacoa recipe features your choice of beef chuck, pork shoulder, or Boston butt slow-cooked until the meat is tender enough to be shredded with two forks. For more south-of-the-border favorites, see our complete collection of Mexican recipes.
This recipe goes with Taco Bar for a Party
How to Make It
Step 1
1
In a 9- by 13-inch pan, mix onions, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeños, bay leaves, chicken broth, lime juice, vinegar, thyme, cumin, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Rinse meat, place in pan, and turn to coat. Cover and chill at least 3 hours or up to 1 day, turning meat occasionally. Seal pan with foil.
Step 2
2
Bake in a 300° oven until meat is tender enough to pull apart easily, 4 to 5 hours. Supporting with 2 slotted spoons, transfer meat to a platter. Pour pan juices through a strainer into a 12-inch frying pan or a 5- to 6-quart pan (discard bay leaves; reserve remaining vegetable mixture); skim and discard fat. Boil juices over high heat until reduced to 1 cup, 25 to 30 minutes.
Step 3
3
When meat is cool enough to handle, in about 10 minutes, discard string. Use 2 forks or your fingers to pull meat into shreds; discard fat and connective tissue. Add meat and reserved vegetable mixture to pan with juices. Stir occasionally over medium heat until steaming, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
Step 4
4
Nutritional analysis per 1/2 cup.
Ingredients
1 pound onions, peeled and diced
1 pound firm-ripe tomatoes, rinsed, cored, and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 ounces fresh jalapeño chilies (about 4 total), rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and quartered lengthwise
2 dried bay leaves
1 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried Mexican or regular oregano
About 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse-ground pepper
1 boned, tied beef chuck or boned pork shoulder or butt (4 to 5 lb.)
Directions
Step 1
1
In a 9- by 13-inch pan, mix onions, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeños, bay leaves, chicken broth, lime juice, vinegar, thyme, cumin, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Rinse meat, place in pan, and turn to coat. Cover and chill at least 3 hours or up to 1 day, turning meat occasionally. Seal pan with foil.
Step 2
2
Bake in a 300° oven until meat is tender enough to pull apart easily, 4 to 5 hours. Supporting with 2 slotted spoons, transfer meat to a platter. Pour pan juices through a strainer into a 12-inch frying pan or a 5- to 6-quart pan (discard bay leaves; reserve remaining vegetable mixture); skim and discard fat. Boil juices over high heat until reduced to 1 cup, 25 to 30 minutes.
Step 3
3
When meat is cool enough to handle, in about 10 minutes, discard string. Use 2 forks or your fingers to pull meat into shreds; discard fat and connective tissue. Add meat and reserved vegetable mixture to pan with juices. Stir occasionally over medium heat until steaming, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
Step 4
4
Nutritional analysis per 1/2 cup.
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