What is Barbacoa Beef?

The term barbacoa was borrowed by Spanish colonists in the late 15th and 16th centuries to describe the cooking style of indigenous Caribbean peoples, such as the Taíno. They would wrap meat in green leaves and cook it on a rack of green wood, so that the cooking implements wouldn’t catch fire during the slow-cooking process. In their native Haitian language, the Taíno originally used the term barbacoa or barbakoa for any kind of wooden rack, not just one used for cooking. From there, as the barbacoa style of cooking spread (as Spanish settlers moved into North America), the word evolved becoming barbecue. Today, barbecue generally refers to grilling meat with various vinegar-, mustard-, or tomato-based sauces, while barbacoa is reserved for Mexican dishes, that are often braised and seasoned with chipotle peppers. Barbacoa is also especially associated with beef-based preparations.