Barbacoa is a form of cooking meat that originated in the Arawak-speaking Caribbean with the Taíno people, from which the term "barbecue" derives. In contemporary Mexico, it generally refers to meats or whole sheep or whole goats slow-cooked over an open fire or, more traditionally, in a hole dug in the ground covered with agave leaves, although the interpretation is loose, and in the present day may refer to meat steamed until tender. This meat is known for its high fat content and strong flavor, often accompanied with onions and cilantro.
Adaptations
In the U.S., barbacoa is often prepared with parts from the heads of cattle, such as the cheeks. In northern Mexico, it is also sometimes made from beef head, but more often it is prepared from goat meat. In central Mexico, the meat of choice is lamb, and in the Yucatan, their traditional version, cochinita pibil, is prepared with pork. Barbacoa was later adopted into the cuisine of the southwesternUnited States by way of Texas. The word transformed in time to "barbecue", as well as many other words related to ranching and Tex-Mexcowboy or vaquero life. Considered a specialty meat, barbacoa is only sold on weekends or holidays in certain parts of South Texas and in all of Mexico. Barbacoa is also popular in Florida, as many Mexican immigrants living there have introduced this dish. Barbacoa is also well known in Honduras. In the Philippines, the Visayan dish balbacua is named after barbacoa, probably for the similar length of cooking time and tenderness of the meat. It is a completely different dish. Unlike Latin American versions, it is a stew made from beef, oxtail, cow feet and skin boiled for several hours until gelatinous and extremely tender.
Traditions
A traditional Mexican way of eating barbacoa is having it served on warm corn tortillas with salsa for added flavor; the tacos are often eaten with diced onions, chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. To be specific barbacoa, in the region of Oaxaca, Mexico is sometimes accompanied by a traditional dish called "yiki". Yiki is a stew made of diced corn with chilis and water. It often includes avocado leaves, salt, and other spices that could only be identified in Oaxaca. The process to make this stew starts a night before it is served. This is to get the maíz softened and it takes off the thin layer of shell type in order for it to be edible in the stew. Once the stew is served, it is very unique looking and tasting. As a topping, sometimes cooked goat liver is added to the stew.
Etymology
The word barbacoa is believed to have come from the mainland Taino, as in this source:
Pero tomemos el vocablo barbacoa, cuyo origen arawak But when we take the term 'barbacoa', which originates from Arawak, it is known thanks to the writings of Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo in his Natural and General History of the Indians, who described two of its meanings.
