Needs More Hot Sauce

[caveman]

Originally Posted by Trip

Barbacoa isn't just the face, it's how they cook meat over a pit with an open flame. It could be sheep or anything else. Basically Mexican Barbeque.

Originally Posted by Adeptus_Minor

Down here it's mostly beef cheek meat, and it's not open flame cooked.
It's either cooked in the ground, in an oven that simulates that method, or some people steam it down.

Ok, my wife is from Mexico and I have been there multiple times so I actually know what Barbacoa is; usually the beef tongue. They start by steaming the shit out of it to help soften the meat up. Then it can be cooked just about any other way you want for the texture or method of seasoning. My Mother In Law normally just takes it right from the steamer shreds it and puts it back to continue the tenderizing. Then serves it out of the steamer to a bread roll called a Bolio cut in half and pull some of the extra out to hollow it out a bit toss in some fresh cut onions, cilantro and a healthy serving of salsa green or red, perhaps a squeezing of lime and good to go. It tastes great, especially with an ice cold beer.
As for the cheek it tastes very similar to the tongue but kind of a fattier texture and doesn't need to be steamed down. Usually just fried in a pan or grilled. Tastes great plain off the grill while you are waiting for other 'que to get done.