First of all, I hope you can join us +Bruna Myers (beeswithhoney.com) and myself in another delicious meal link up party. Our kick off linky (Roasted Chicken recipe) was such a success that we hope to see it growing. Anyone benefits of delicious inspiration right? Which if needed, feel free to check out (and follow) the #WhyFakeItJustMakeIt Pinterest board we created to help share and broadcast anyone linking their masterpieces with us.
For this link up, I have a family recipe Beef Barbacoa. Okay, it’s not really a family-per-se recipe since my mom was not a cook, and my grandma has never made this dish, but I went far and beyond to learn this meal and it now entitles me to call it family recipe.
Beef Barbacoa is a traditional weekend meal, especially on Sundays, in the north east of Mexico. Barbacoa does not equal barbeque (BBQ) just for the record, although it involves meat it is not the same – I learnt this the hard way. In Mexico, beef barbacoa is made out of the cow head. The entire head. Some people dig a hole underground, create some fire and place a big put in it that gets covered with banana leaves after for about 12 hours. Others, just on the stove.
I’ll share with you my small-scale adaptation (which has helped me survive the blues).
BEEF BARBACOA
Ingredients:
1 lb Beef Shank (with bone marrow)
1 1/2 cup of water
3 Bay leaves
1/2 Medium Onion
Garlic, Salt to taste
Tortillas are optional
Preparation:
For this type of meat I recommend using a slow cooker. I found the flavours are preserved more than boiling the meat on the stove.
1. Place the meat in the slow cooker
2. Add the water (it has to pass the meat by 1 cm, add more if necessary)
3. Add the Bay leaves to the water
4. Cut the onion Julian style or rings and add them to the meat
5. Add salt and garlic if desired
6. If want to be done overnight, put a low heat. It will be ready in 8hrs.
7. If desired to eat on the same day, alternate from high (2 hrs) and then to low (1 hr)
8. Once the meat is cooked (should be soft and almost falling off the bone) transfer to a separate container and remove the bone, but preserve the bone marrow with the meat
9. Shred the meat and mix the bone marrow with it
10. If desired, any left over juices from the slow cooker could be incorporated for additional flavour. Note: not more than the actual meat, otherwise it would be soup. For this, use a colander and separate the water from the rest. This water could be saved as a broth for another dish too
11. This meat is eaten with tortillas, but it pretty much can be eaten with anything: wraps, sandwiches, etc…
12. Enjoy!
Do you have a recipe to share? Come and link-up with us! Link open for 5 days: Sept 30 – Oct 4
