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!
Source: RecipeLion.com
Ingredients
- to 4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 3” cubes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- tablespoon neutral oil
- prepared cold brew coffee
- fresh orange juice
- tablespoon white wine vinegar
- chopped Mexican piloncillo or light or dark brown sugar
- white onion, sliced, divided
- garlic, chopped roughly
- dried guajillo chilies, stem and seeds removed
- dried ancho chili, stem and seeds removed
- chiles de arbol
- dried morita peppers, or 2 canned chipotle peppers
- teaspoon ground cumin
- teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- teaspoon ground coriander
- to 4 fresh banana leaves, optional
- orange, sliced
- fresh bay leaves
- <b><br>For Serving</b>
- Corn tortillas, warmed
- Diced white onion
- Chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- Sliced radishes
- Lime wedges