Barbacoa

Yasmin Luevano
Mr.Cook
ELA Honors
October 9, 2014
















The beautiful aroma of spices ground finely in the molcajete with the hot oil in the
pan ready to fry. The kitchen filled with the gasping and laughing of the chismes around
town. The sarcasm of Aunt Lupe as she tells a penetrating story that makes us doubt
her slightly. The magical hands of my mother cooking the best meal of our lives.
The plate that defines me is barbacoa with a green chile sauce.
Reminiscent of her past life, my mother dragged me along to the city where she
lived before coming to the United States. She came from Tampico, Tamaulipas. Arriving
at a foreign country, I was weirded out by the traffic and taxis honking every second.
The unfamiliar faces that would watch me as if I were an unknown alien. The humid
temperature and the blazing sun made sweat run down my face. Arriving at my
grandmas unpainted blue house, I was greeted by my grandma with a warm hug. My
cousins run around the living room and they quickly asked who I was and I answered,
A cousin. Exhausted, I left the family room and lay in my bed.
As my uncle went off to kill the fat lamb, I went to the kitchen with my grandma so
she could give me a quick cooking class. At first I refused because I was afraid to mess
up, but my grandma said, Yasmin, se debe de cocinar con amor. Lo que tiene amor
siempre sabe bien. The first step of learning to cook was being able to hold a knife, and
the second step of cooking was learning how to season the food. As we were working
on the red rice, my mom started to work with the green chile sauce. The strong and bold
smell filled the kitchen with a beautiful aroma. We were making beautiful art.
My uncle, drenched in sweat and blood all over his shirt, arrived with the lamb
meat and my mom promptly began to season the meat to cook the lamb as soon as
possible. As we waited, many family members began to arrive and I began setting
chairs and tables. My family members saw me and said, la prima del norte and I
laughed smiling. Everyone with a Coca-Cola in their hands, began to talk about old
memories of the family. When we went to el Cerro de la Bufa where statues of Pancho
Villa and memorable hikes filled with sabilas y nopales. The astonishing memories
created an atmosphere with laughs, smiles, and excitement.
My mom called me into the kitchen so that I could help her make the tortillas. I
was delighted because of the easy way of making fresh, warm tortillas. We began to
cook them in el comal and my fingertips burned as I flipped each side of tortillas and I
began to set the tortillas on each table. My grandma said, A lavarse las manos and
everyone went to the bathroom to wash their hands. My uncles put their hats on the
chairs as a symbol of respect towards the food. Everyone is excited to be able to enjoy
a valuable moment with special people. When my mom opened the pot, the spicy and
sweet smell of the lamb meat was incredible with the green chile sauce adding
spiciness.
Spending time with my family members made me reflect on who I am. Every time
I wondered why my mom or grandmas food was so good, I noticed that the love my
grandma had for her family. As she was cooking, her smiles and laughs would put the
sazon in the food because of our jokes.
I am Mexican- American and the food that my grandma or mom makes reflects it.
I have so many techniques of cooking passed on from generations to generations. I am
happy that I am able to eat some great food,and I think that this great food comes from
great people with caring hearts. My family always offers to make food for special events
because it is great to share food with people that you care. I brought with me the amor
para cocinar, los chismes, y mi familia.















Recipe to make Barbacoa Tacos
Ingredients:
8 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and stems)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Corn tortillas, warmed, and assorted toppings, for serving
2 plum tomatoes, quartered
1 small white onion, quartered
8 cloves garlic, unpeeled
Kosher salt
2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-to-2-inch pieces or lamb
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Directions:Heat a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high
heat. Add the chiles and cook, pressing them down with a spatula, 10 seconds
per side; transfer to a plate. Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic to the skillet and
cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are charred in spots, about 10
minutes.Peel the garlic and transfer to a blender along with the tomatoes and
onion (reserve the skillet). Tear the chiles into pieces and add to the blender
along with 1/2 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt; pulse until smooth. Strain the
mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the skillet, pressing it through with the
back of a spoon. Add the beef to the skillet and turn to coat in the chile sauce
using tongs. Cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until a crust
starts to form on the meat, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the cumin, cinnamon
and cayenne pepper and cook 1 more minute. Meanwhile, puree 2 1/2 cups water,
the cilantro and thyme in the blender; add to the skillet along with the bay
leaves.Reduce the heat to low. Cover and gently simmer until the meat is very
tender, about 2 hours, adding up to 1 1/2 cups water if the sauce gets too thick.
Remove the bay leaves and season with salt and black pepper. Serve in tortillas
with assorted toppings.