Cold Brew Braised Barbacoa
In Spanish, barbacoa translates to “barbecue,” but it’s taken on a life of its own and spawned an entire style of cooking in Mexico and the Caribbean. Tougher cuts of meat (usually beef, lamb, goat or even pork) are buried in a pit lined with banana or agave leaves and slow roasted over hot coals or firewood until very tender. I wanted to create a recipe that captured the spirit of barbacoa while still feeling doable, and I’m so happy with how this recipe turned out. The cold brew coffee is not at all traditional, but it gives the braising liquid an incredible depth of flavor. Using fresh banana leaves may be tricky, so this is an optional ingredient, but I recommend heading to your local Asian or Hispanic market to source them because they truly do make all the difference!
Serves6 to 8
Preparation Time20 min
Cooking Time3 hr 30 min
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 to 4 pounds (1.6 to 1.8 kg) boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 3” (7.5- cm) cubes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) neutral oil
- 2 cups (475 ml) prepared cold brew coffee (see recipe notes)
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh orange juice
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup (75 g) chopped Mexican piloncillo or (50 g) light or dark brown sugar
- 1 white onion, sliced, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped roughly
- 3 dried guajillo chilies, stem and seeds removed
- 1 dried ancho chili, stem and seeds removed
- 4 chiles de arbol
- 2 dried morita peppers, or 2 canned chipotle peppers
- 1 1/2 teaspoon (scant 4 g) ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 to 4 fresh banana leaves, optional (see recipe notes)
- 1 orange, sliced
- 2 fresh bay leaves
For Serving- Corn tortillas, warmed
- Diced white onion
- Chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- Sliced radishes
- Lime wedges
INSTRUCTIONS
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Preheat an oven to 350°F (177°C).
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Pat the beef chuck pieces dry with a paper towel and season liberally all over with salt and black pepper. In a 5-quart (4.7-L) Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, arrange the beef pieces in a single layer. You may need to do this in batches. Sear the beef for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until deeply browned. Transfer the beef to a plate. Turn off the heat and let the pot cool for 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, in the carafe of a high-powered blender, combine the coffee, orange juice, vinegar, piloncillo, half of the onion slices, the garlic cloves, guajillo chilies, ancho chili , chiles de arbol, morita peppers, cumin, Mexican oregano and coriander. Blend until smooth, season to taste and set aside.
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If using, line the Dutch oven with banana leaves so that there is a bit of overhang. Arrange the remaining white onion and the orange slices in the bottom of the pot. Place the seared beef on top, along with the bay leaves. Pour the cold brew braising liquid over the beef and fold the banana leaves over it. Use another leaf to top the beef so that it’s completely wrapped and covered. If you’re not using or are unable to find banana leaves, simply add the beef to the Dutch oven with the onion, orange slices and braising liquid. Cover with a lid and braise in the oven for 3 hours. Uncover the pot and cook for another 30 minutes. At this point, the beef should be very tender and easily shredded with a fork. Remove the pot from the oven and let the beef rest for 20 minutes.
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Remove the beef from the pot and transfer to a serving platter. Gently shred the meat, season with salt if necessary, and serve with tortillas, diced white onion, chopped cilantro, sliced radishes and lime wedges.
Recipe Notes:
If you’re using cold brew concentrate, use 1 cup (240 ml) of concentrate mixed with 1 cup (240 ml) of cold water.
You can find banana leaves at many Hispanic or Asian grocery stores.
Credit Line
Reprinted with permission from Braised by Jenny Goycochea-Marker. Page Street Publishing Co. 2024. Photo credit: Jenny Goycochea-Marker
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