Instant Pot Barbacoa

The term Barbacoa refers to a slow cooking style originating in Mexico. The time also can translate to barbeque in the English language. Barbacoa is typically made using tougher cuts of beef, lamb, pork, or goat meat alongside chilies and seasoning, wrapping them in agave leaves and slow roasting them in a fire pit. Different parts of Mexico also use other parts of the animal; some use beef or lamb's head, tongue, and cheeks. The result of cooking is the meat is shredded and added back to the juices it was cooked in and served on corn tortillas with chopped onions and cilantro. In America, you'll mostly find Barbacoa made from beef, still slowly cooked and shredded. In this case, the recipe calls for using the Instant Pot to create a quick and mouthwatering version of this traditional recipe.

To create this Instant Pot Barbacoa recipe, a sauce is made from smokey chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce blended with onions, garlic, lime juice, red wine vinegar, cumin, tinned green chilies, tomato paste, and dried oregano. Beef chuck is seasoned, seared, and cooked for 1 hour in the chipotle mixture and beef stock, resulting in a moist and juicy Barbacoa. Next, it's shredded and added back to the juices it was cooked in. Finally, the Barbacoa is added to warm corn tortillas and topped with chopped onions and cilantro. Barbacoa is even better the next day after the meat sits and marinades overnight. Some other ways to use Barbacoa are adding art to burritos, soup, salads, or even eggs and avocado for breakfast. Make a batch for meal prep during the week, or freeze it for a quick meal on a busy day.