Barbacoa Tacos Near Me

Meat (traditionally whole sheep, goat, or a cow's head) wrapped in maguey (agave) leaves and cooked slowly in a covered earth pit until it falls apart, then shredded onto corn tortillas with onion, cilantro and salsa. Many US kitchens reproduce it by steaming or braising beef cheek or chuck.

Barbacoa is steamed or pit-cooked, moist, and seasoned simply. Carnitas is simmered in fat and then crisped. Barbacoa is beef, lamb or goat; carnitas is pork. Barbacoa is tender and savoury; carnitas has crisp edges and tastes of pork fat.

Birria is stewed in a chile-and-spice liquid and served with consommé; it is saucy. Barbacoa is steamed or pit-cooked with little or no chile sauce; it is not. If there is a red broth for dipping, it is birria.

Traditionally lamb, goat, or beef head (cabeza). Most US restaurants use beef cheek or beef chuck, steamed until it shreds.

Not usually. It is seasoned simply (salt, sometimes bay, garlic, cumin) and cooked low and slow. The heat comes from the salsa served with it.

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